Origins
by Peonywinx
Summary: Tales of Diamond Earth universe. The year 2000 ushers in not only the new millenium, but also the second generation of heroes. As metabeings from all over the country meet each other and try to figure out what's so special about a meteorite that crashed on New Year's Day, a galactic menace looms over them all, threatening the very safety of the planet they are sworn to protect.
1. Prologue: New Year

_**A/N: Hi guys! This is a story that kicks off my **Tales of Diamond Earth **universe (see my profile for more information). You will be seeing more stories from this universe in the future, but for now...Enjoy!**_

**Disclaimer: I'm saying it once for the entire story: I do not own either **_Justice Leage_ **or **_Teen Titans_.

* * *

**TALES OF DIAMOND EARTH**

Justice League/Teen Titans: Origins

**Prologue: New Year**

New Year's Eve, 1999. The end of a millennium. The beginning of a new age. The dawn of an era marked by the rise of the second generation of superheroes, the likes of which have not been seen since the disbanding of the Justice Society in 1977.

As millions of people over the world celebrate the turn of a thousand years, others make it their duty to ensure that nothing mars this historic day.

In Metropolis, reporter Clark Kent is onsite at a massive turn of millennium ceremony, covering the event with colleagues Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen. Under his casual clothes lies the costume, marked by the iconic S, that is always ready to be worn when it's needed.

In Gotham, a caped crusader watches over the city, keeping a sharp eye out for crime with a younger female at his side. Mysteriously, billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne excused himself from a social event not two hours earlier, and university student Barbara Gordon is missing from her dorm.

In Central City, a red blur zips past everyone and everything as it chases easily after a thief's getaway car. People barely have time to say the Flash's name before he's apprehending the crook and flashing a winning smile at the camera.

None of them knows that on the stroke of the new year, and the new millennium, everything will change.

* * *

There was only one word to describe the scene: cacophony. The whole Metropolis City Square was filled with laughter and the noise of hundreds of voices talking over each other; and everywhere Clark looked, there were people dressed up brightly, dancing and singing loudly to the tunes blaring from the huge bass speakers in front of the stage. Clark noticed that a favorite of the DJ seemed to be a rocked up version of 'Auld Lang Syne'.

"Awesome turnout, isn't it?" Jimmy yelled over the racket as he snapped yet another photo of the milling crowd.

"You don't say," Clark agreed. "Back in Smallville, everyone's just gathered around a bonfire waiting for midnight."

"Speaking of midnight," Lois shouted, "it's nearly time. Let's get closer to the stage to catch the countdown."

"Oh, yeah!" Jimmy agreed excitedly.

Clark was less than willing. "Do we have to? I don't think my eardrums can take much more."

Lois' hand shot out to grab his arm. "Come on, don't be such a farm boy."

"I _am _a farm boy," Clark muttered; but he nevertheless followed her lead.

* * *

Gotham City was livelier than the young Batgirl had ever seen it. For once, the crime capital of the country was bright and even somewhat colorful despite the dark and shady underworlds it still held.

"It's amazing," Batgirl breathed. "It's like a new city."

"Stay focused, Barbara," Batman warned as they alighted on a rooftop. "Anyone could strike at any minute."

"I know, I know," Batgirl said. "But still…" she added, looking down at the brightly-lit City Hall, "it's a little hard to resist the merriment. Don't you wish you could be down there and take just one night off from crime?"

"I always do," Batman replied. "But I've long since learned it's an unrealistic dream. I do this up _here_" – he gestured to the rooftop they were on – "so other people can enjoy themselves down _there _without having to worry about getting robbed or defrauded or murdered."

Batgirl sighed. "You know, this would be a lot more fun if Dick –"

"Dick made his choice. We have to respect that."

"You do know he's going to go if you don't say anything, right?"

"Yes."

"And you're not going to even try to convince him otherwise?" Batgirl was incredulous. "For heaven's sake, Bruce – you _know _two words from you would stop him from leaving. Why won't you –"

"Barbara," Batman interrupted, "this is one time when we have to agree to disagree. Dick's an adult now."

"He's seventeen! He doesn't get to _be_ an adult for another seven months!"

"Regardless, he _is _capable of looking after himself," Batman pointed out. "Age is just a number – you know that – and Dick is as much an adult as you are. Our lives are taking separate paths, and though I care for him, it's time to let him go."

"Yes, but not like this," she objected. "Not this way. He wouldn't even be going if it weren't for –"

"I know." The two simple words rang with firm finality as Batman took off for the next rooftop.

* * *

"What a night," Wally West remarked to himself as he changed out of his Flash costume back into civilian clothes. Checking to see that no one was around to see him, he then super-speeded to the house he'd been heading for before the thief caught his attention. Letting himself in with the key, he called, "Uncle Barry, I'm here."

"Oh, hello, Wally," his Aunt Iris greeted warmly. "Your uncle's in the kitchen, scarfing down muffins like there's no tomorrow."

"Just another night, huh?" Wally grinned as he slipped into the kitchen. "Hey, Uncle Barry."

"Wally!" Barry Allen greeted his nephew expansively. The second Flash and a former member of the old Justice Society, Barry had aged gracefully into a hale and hearty fifty-two-year-old with his sense of humor intact. "Just in time. Muffin?"

"Don't mind if I do." Wally hungrily munched one muffin, then a second, then a third.

"How's the hero thing coming along?" Barry asked casually.

Wally shrugged. "Not too bad, I guess," he said noncommittally. "People keep mistaking me for you, though."

"That's the price you pay for wearing the same uniform." Barry wagged a finger in his face. "I told you that when you took it."

"But it looks so cool! No offense to Jay Garrick or anything, but his costume was rather old-fashioned."

"It was the 60s. _Everything _was old-fashioned. Hell, _my _outfit was considered futuristic."

"But at least no one ever thought you were the original Flash," Wally pointed out.

"A large part of that was due to the fact that everyone knew he'd died to save Earth," Barry reminded him. "I didn't join the Society until almost a year after his death. No one could have mistaken me for Jay."

"I always wanted to ask – was he the only one who died?"

Barry sighed. "No. We lost Black Canary in 1976 – radiation poisoning."

Wally frowned. "But I've heard there's a Black Canary in Star City."

"She's the daughter of the original Black Canary."

Wally was surprised. "She _is_?"

"It's the new generation, Wally," Barry said. "Younger heroes are stepping up to take our place. Soon it'll be your turn to make history."

"Me? Make history?" Wally laughed. "I don't think so, Uncle Barry. I've been the Flash for barely a year and a half."

Barry only smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Oh, you'd be surprised, Wally," he said. "You'd be very surprised."

* * *

"THREE! TWO! ONE!"

A shower of sparkles shot into the sky, followed immediately by vibrant fireworks that crackled and popped spiritedly as they marked the beginning of the millennium.

"Oh, they're beautiful," Lois breathed in awe, watching the lights dance in the sky.

"Yes, they are," Clark agreed, slinging an arm around her shoulder.

* * *

As people in the States ushered in the year 2000, elsewhere, a large, pitted meteorite of metallic material crashed into a Mongolian desert, raising an almighty cloud of dust and sand that obscured the afternoon sun. Its coming cast a shadow on the entrance of the new millennium; some would say its very appearance on such an auspicious date had been predetermined by fate.

Regardless, the meteorite's arrival would forever be remembered as the one single event which triggered the greatest crisis of the world to date, as well as the reemergence of the Age of Heroes.

* * *

_**A/N: And that's the prologue. Stay tuned for Chapter 1 tomorrow - I'll be updating daily, of course - and until then, review! ;) Ta!**_


	2. Chapter One: Generational Gap

**_A/N: Acknowledgments time! Thanks to _**_RavenBowie_**_ for subscribing to this story (I look forward to hearing your views as the tale progresses), and thanks to _**_leathman_**_ for his review!_****  
**

**_Now, I warn you here: This whole story spans about two years, so there are multiple time skips within the chapters, and especially from chapter to chapter. I have not written dates and times before each scene - because that would break up the story too much and be too confusing - but there should be enough throwaway information in the story itself to give you an idea of what is happening when._**

_Timeline: This chapter spans from January 2000 to April 2000._**_  
_**

* * *

**Chapter One: Generational Gap**

"You don't have to go."

"Sorry, Babs, but I do."

It was a rainy morning at Wayne Manor. The steady patter of rain hitting the metal walls of the garage was highly noticeable as Barbara Gordon pleaded with her long-time friend and partner Dick Grayson.

"You know how Bruce is," Barbara said. "He's too damn stubborn to admit he was wrong."

"He wasn't wrong," Dick disagreed as he zipped up his duffle bag and strapped it to his motorcycle. "He made the right decision for him – it just wasn't the right decision for me, too."

"But –"

"Look, Barbara." Dick crossed the room to talk to her. "Bruce and I, we've been together a long time. We've done a lot of good working together, but I've grown up now. I have to make my own choices, and I can't do that if I'm staying here. I have to find my own way."

"Can't you find your own way in Gotham?"

Dick's answering smile was wry. "You know me – and Bruce – better than that."

Barbara sighed. "I can't change your mind?"

"Not this time."

"Okay, then." Barbara threw her arms around him and hugged him fiercely. "Take care of yourself, Dick. Don't get yourself killed or anything."

Dick chuckled. "Always." He kissed her tenderly on her forehead, then got on his motorcycle and drove away.

* * *

"You called?" Superman said as he landed next to Batman on the grassy knell. The Dark Knight looked out of place in the sunny Metropolis park, secluded though it was.

"Obviously."

"What do you need?" Superman asked.

"I'm here to report, Clark. You heard about the meteorite that crashed in Mongolia last month, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah. It was all over the news because it suddenly disappeared." Superman narrowed his eyes as realization hit. "You know where it is, don't you?"

"I have a hunch. I think it's with Cadmus – or at least, Cadmus made it disappear."

There was a short pause as Superman contemplated that.

"So it's real, then?" the Man of Steel said finally.

"Cadmus? Yes," Batman admitted. "What it is exactly, though, I still haven't figured out."

"But you have a theory, don't you?"

"I have several. The most likely has it as an anti-superhero organization."

"Anti-superhero…but why?" Superman questioned.

"The government doesn't trust us, Clark. You know that."

"That's not true," Superman protested. "The government supports what we do."

"They may support us, but they don't trust us," Batman reiterated. "No matter how much good we do, we're still an unexpected variable. Unpredictable. Unknown. They don't understand us; they're afraid we might turn against them one day."

"That's ridiculous," Superman scoffed.

"Not really," Batman disagreed. "It's a reasonable fear. Imagine what you could do if you lost your sense of morality. Don't look at me like that, Clark – you know it's the truth. The world is full of cynics – and they feel the need to cover their bases and protect themselves in case we ever do go rogue."

"And Cadmus is the organization to do that?"

"Probably. As far as I can tell, it's been working operations since 1995 – which was about a year after you started hero activities."

"So what do we do?" Superman queried.

"We do nothing. For now, anyway. At the moment, Cadmus is nothing more than a precautionary measure on the government's part. Unless something changes, it won't actually go against us until we become a threat."

Superman nodded. Then he asked, "Bruce, how are you?"

Behind the cowl, Batman raised one eyebrow.

"I know Dick left," Superman explained. "It can't be easy on you."

"Change is an inevitable part of life. Dick's grown up; he's nearly an adult, he's making his own decisions. I can't make them for him anymore."

"So you're okay with him moving?"

"Doesn't matter. He made his choice, and I respect it."

"Bruce…" Superman sighed.

"I should be getting back." Seconds later, Batman was gone.

* * *

The mugger sneered triumphantly at his victim – a young woman with mousy brown hair and terrified eyes – as he searched roughly in her dress pockets for her wallet. She was such a fearful figure he almost felt sorry that she'd been stupid enough to walk on her own at night in Jump City – almost.

"Tracy DeMarko," he identified her from her driver's license. "Nice name you've got…and I have to say" – his gaze traveled appreciatively down her long, lean body – "you've got a beautiful body too. Maybe you and I can have some fun before I leave, eh?" He leered at the girl; she whimpered pitifully in abject terror at the prospect of what he intended to do to her.

Help came in the form of a low, disembodied voice. "Not tonight."

Before the mugger could so much as react, he was pushed headfirst into the wall by a dark-clothed figure. The only thing he was able to make out was a few lines of yellow trim on his attacker's costume.

"Let me go!" he cried, struggling to get out of the assailant's grip. He attempted to reach for his gun, but his opponent slammed him against the wall, making him see stars.

"I know a few people who would be very happy to see you," the unknown person said. "And they're all at the police station downtown."

"Who are you?" the mugger demanded.

There was a slight pause before the response came.

"Call me Nightwing."

* * *

Cadmus chairperson Amanda Waller's tread was firm and purposeful as she walked to the docking bay of S.T.A.R. Labs

"Captain Faraday," she greeted. "Congratulations on a successful mission. How was your trip to Mars?"

"Eventful," the veteran captain replied. "You received our transmission?"

"I did." Waller pursed her lips, watching four members of Cadmus lead away a captive, dejected-looking green alien. "The Martian – was it difficult to trap?"

"Notoriously so, Ms. Waller," Faraday admitted. "It's got a wide range of supernatural abilities – it's stronger, faster, and more durable than humans, and it can shapeshift and pass through solid objects. It also appears to be able to read our minds. Once we lighted up the flares, though, it became docile enough."

"It's vulnerable to fire?" Waller inquired.

"Apparently so."

"There was no other species on Mars?"

"Not that we saw – but we only visited a small part of the planet. For all we know there's hundreds more of those creatures."

Waller nodded. "Johnson!" she barked at a passing laboratory assistant. "Tell Dr. Hammond to cryogenically freeze the Martian and begin studies on it at once. I want to know everything about that alien in as little time as possible."

"Yes, ma'am," the assistant replied before scooting off.

"Have you got any new leads on the meteorite?" Faraday inquired conversationally as they walked through the corridor.

"Not yet," Waller replied. "We've got our best scientists working on it, though."

"You're pushing them too hard, Amanda. First the meteorite, then the Nightwing investigation, now the Martian…"

"I can't afford to be a wishy-washy director, Faraday. New superheroes and metahumans seem to appear everyday. It's Cadmus' job to stay one step ahead of them."

"Have you ever considered the possibility that superheroes are a force for good? They help people."

"I'm not saying they don't. But you've seen what they're capable of firsthand, King. Have you ever considered what could happen if they go rogue?"

* * *

Kent Nelson frowned as his scrying revealed something disturbing. Muttering an incantation under his breath to clear up the view, he looked closer at his screen.

The normally plain glass of the scrying mirror had darkened into a misty, charcoal cloud of gray. The dark fog, shot through with streaks of glowing yellow energy, roiled and moved languidly, until it parted just enough to reveal a pair of baleful, ugly eyes that shone with inhuman power.

Ordinary men would likely have reacted negatively to such a fearsome vision, but Kent Nelson was not an ordinary man. First of all, he was at least sixty-five years of age – possibly older – but he appeared to be not a day over thirty. Secondly, he was the apprentice of the Egyptian wizard Nabu, and had thus been granted certain mystical powers. Thirdly, he lived in an invisible tower in Salem, Massachusetts. Fourth, and most importantly, he was the alter ego of the superhero Doctor Fate, former founding member of the Justice Society. He was used to apocalyptic visions.

So it was that when the image faded, Kent simply set the mirror down, left the pocket dimension where he did all his scrying and meditating, and returned to the real world, where his wife was waiting for him.

"Inza, my love," Kent said, "We have a new problem."

* * *

_**A/N: Special sneak peak for anyone who can guess who the villain is! And, of course, my appreciation for everyone who reviews!**_


	3. Chapter Two: Things Are Stirring

**_A/N: A big thank-you to those who reviewed - _**_Dextra2, Jazbez, and leathman_**_ - and thanks also to _**_Ellerosse, doglover500, Fountainwind,_**_ and _**_DS2010_**_ for subscribing/favoriting. Double thanks to _**_Jazbez_**_, who has done all three :)_  
**

**_Now, I promised a sneak peak to whoever managed to guess the villain, and the period for that is now closed; about the results...well, if you don't get a PM from me, you didn't guess right ;)_**

_Timeline: We start off around June 2000, and end around August 2000._**_  
_**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Things are Stirring**

"You have _got _to be kidding me," Flash groaned. "_You? Here?_"

"Hello, Flashie." The Joker cackled madly. "And of course I'm kidding you. Joking is what I do best."

"Why aren't you in Gotham?" Flash demanded, watching the insane villain closely.

"Tut, tut," Joker said disapprovingly. "Is that how you treat an old friend?"

"I helped Batman put you away _once, _and _only _once. Guess I have to do it again." Flash shot towards Joker, but the clown simply vanished. "Hey, where'd you –"

A sudden, unexpected blow to the back of his head cut off his sentence and made him see stars.

"Whoopsie-daisy." Joker giggled hysterically. "Did I forget to mention that I'm a master of illusion? No? My bad." He grinned evilly and detonated three exploding marbles. Flash was unable to dodge in time due to his disorientation, and the force of the blast sent him flying into a building.

"I wonder…" Joker looked contemplative. "What would dear old Bats say if I eliminated one of his little superhero friends?" There was an insane grin on his face as he advanced on the injured Flash. "That would make him mad, wouldn't it?"

Before he could get more than five feet closer, a heavy mace came hurtling from the sky. The Arkham inmate was barely able to shield himself with a fortified canopy from his pocket before the weapon crashed into him, knocking him flat.

"Oof," he complained, completely winded, yet still grinning like a lunatic. "Some other time, then." With a final mad giggle, Joker was gone in a flash of light.

When the bright haze dissipated, Flash saw the mace returning of its own accord to the ready hand of one of his best friends.

"You okay?" Hawkgirl inquired as she helped him up.

"Yeah." Flash grimaced as he moved his neck. "Although I'm going to have some spectacular bruises tomorrow. Thanks for the save. I don't particularly fancy becoming one of Joker's dead tricks."

"What was the Joker doing here, anyway?" Hawkgirl wondered. "He usually never ventures far from Gotham – he's too fond of playing with Batman for that."

"I have no idea. But you can bet Batman will find out."

* * *

"…and that is exactly why you should vote for me." The clear, strong voice of Star City's mayoral candidate Oliver Queen rang out across the square. "It's a new millennium, people – and it calls for changes. Our country did not get where it is today without making some ripples in the existing community – and neither can we move forward to the best of our ability if we keep playing the safe card. I'm dedicated to making the necessary changes to make our city a better place, and I have every confidence that with your support, we can be an example for others. Thank you."

Oliver Queen stepped down from the podium to a smattering of applause to allow the other candidate to make his campaign speech. When he returned to his seat, his wife of two months, Dinah Lance, kissed him on the cheek.

"Inspired speech, Ollie," she commended him.

"Let's see if it works this time."

Out of the corner of her eye, Dinah noticed a shifty-looking man edging his way through the crowd.

"Ollie," she said. "Mind if I excuse myself for a moment?"

Oliver looked to where her gaze was, his expression turning wry. "Yeah, go ahead."

Dinah smiled and vanished. Oliver knew that in mere minutes she would have donned her blonde wig and dark blue costume and would be chasing after the suspect.

She was his Black Canary, after all.

* * *

Batman frowned as he observed a red blur dart in and out of the darkened streets of Gotham. He knew who that was.

Batman waited a few seconds for the blur to stop, then dropped down behind him.

"Looking for me?"

The red-clad figure in front of him jumped at least two feet in the air with a startled yelp.

"Jeez, Batman, are you _trying _to give me a heart attack?"

"What do you want, Flash?" Batman asked, ignoring the speedster's question.

"I just wanted to ask you when the Joker escaped," Flash said. "Last I heard, he was still locked up tight in Arkham since we put him away last year."

"How did you hear about that?" Batman demanded, eyes narrowing. The Flash was one of the few superheroes currently active whose true identity was not yet known to him. That made Batman very cautious. He'd worked with Flash once or twice, and found him trustworthy despite his playful nature – but until he knew for certain who he was, Batman's paranoia would not allow him to let his guard down even for a second.

"Well, he showed up in Central City this morning…"

"Joker was in Central?" Batman's eyes narrowed further.

"Yeah…he was just as crazy as ever, going on and on about how his killing me would irritate you. I don't know why – it's not like you and I are particularly close or anything – but I probably would be in a hospital – or a morgue – right now if Hawkgirl hadn't shown up to help."

By now Batman's eyes were little more than slits in his cowl. Hawkgirl was another of those unknown superheroes; as far as he had been able to find out, she was an alien from a distant planet called Thanagar who had somehow unintentionally ended up on Earth.

"You and Hawkgirl were fighting the Joker in Central City?" he asked, though it didn't sound like a question.

"Well, it wasn't much of a fight – Joker disappeared like fifteen seconds after she showed up."

"Why was he in Central City?"

Flash shrugged. "Search me. I was kinda hoping you could tell me."

"Joker escaped Arkham two weeks ago," Batman informed him. "For at least one of those two, according to Commissioner Gordon, he was making trouble here, but I never saw him. He appears to have grown stealthier…"

"How stealthy can an insane guy with green hair and white skin be? He'll show up somewhere eventually."

"Don't underestimate Joker," Batman warned. "Doing so will only get you killed."

"I hear you," agreed Flash. "Listen, I've gotta get back to Central – I'll let you know if I see him again."

Batman nodded, and Flash sped off.

* * *

Nightwing was out again, patrolling the streets of Jump City the way he used to do it with Batman in Gotham. After six months of fighting crime in his new city, the people of Jump had come to recognize him as their protector – the civilians, that is. He wasn't as yet on very good terms with the official authorities, but at least he wasn't feuding with them like Batman was with the GCPD.

Then again, Jump City's police force wasn't as corrupt as Gotham's.

As far as crime went, though, Jump City was considered one of the top ten dangerous cities in the U.S.A., even if it wasn't quite as criminal as Gotham. That was one of the reasons Dick had chosen to move here after separating from Batman – he knew he could make a difference in the city.

A sudden movement caught his attention. Behind his domino mask, Nightwing frowned. Without hesitation, he leapt down from the roof and landed with an audible _thud _behind a would-be burglar just as he was attempting to pry open the window of a toy store.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to take things that don't belong to you?"

The burglar turned with wide eyes. "You!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," Nightwing agreed calmly. "Me."

The burglar whipped out a knife. "Don't interfere," he warned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You have no idea what you're messing with."

"Don't be stupid," Nightwing scoffed. "Why don't you put that away, and let's talk like civilized people."

"Talk?" The other man snorted derisively. "I have nothing to say to someone who goes around the city at night in a stupid costume. I've lost everything – _everything _– and now that I have a chance to get my life back, I'm not letting _anything _get in my way!"

"Stealing toys is going to help you?"

At this the burglar actually laughed. "Not toys, _boy_. _Weapons. _Toys can be _lethal _when utilized properly. And my employer will pay me handsomely for weapons that look innocent."

Nightwing frowned. That didn't sound right. "Employer?" he questioned. "What are you talking about?"

Instead of answering, the burglar lashed out with the knife; Nightwing automatically leaned backwards to avoid the blade with an ease born of years of experience. He grabbed the man's hand and disarmed him in one quick twist of his arm. Then he yanked him closer and punched him square on the jaw. The burglar slumped to the ground, unconscious. Nightwing stood over him, observing him for several seconds.

"Now what did you mean about an 'employer'?" he muttered.

"I see you haven't lost your touch." A feminine figure slinked out of the shadows. Nightwing tensed, but relaxed when he saw who it was.

"Batgirl?" he said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking up on you," she replied. "Term starts next week, and I wasn't going to let summer break pass without at least dropping in on my best friend."

"Did Batman send you?"

Batgirl leveled a steady gaze at him.

"Fine," Nightwing acquiesced. "Satisfied with what you see?"

"Yeah." Batgirl flashed him a grin. "Clearly, you're just as good as ever – in fact, I'd say you've gotten better, _Nightwing._"

Nightwing couldn't help a pleased smile. "You like the name, huh?"

"Yep. It's a lot more sophisticated and mysterious than 'Robin'. Taking a leaf out of Batman's book, are we?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I saw the way that guy reacted to you. If you're not careful, people might end up being just as in awe of you as they are of Batman. Not that that's a bad thing – I just thought you'd want to know."

"I'll keep that in mind." Nightwing was silent for a moment before he said, "So how's Bruce doing these days?"

"Oh, he's fine," Batgirl responded nonchalantly. "Bit grumpy, though, to be honest – even for him."

"Because I left?"

"No." She turned more serious. "Because villains keep disappearing from their jail cells, and he can't find them."

Nightwing stared. "He can't?" Since when had Batman not been able to locate a villain?

"They pop up in the last place you'd expect them to be and then – provided they're not caught – they just disappear again."

Nightwing's brow creased. "What do you mean?"

"Well, let's see…" Batgirl began ticking them off on her fingers. "Joker appeared in Central City in June, and no one's seen him since; Harley Quinn surfaced in New York a week later – she was nabbed by the cops and shipped back to Gotham, but refuses to tell anyone where her boyfriend is; Killer Frost iced half the people in Austin before vanishing; Silver Banshee simply disappeared after escaping prison; and Copperhead and Cheetah seem to be in cahoots, making periodic appearances all over the country."

"All of this in two months?" Nightwing asked incredulously.

"Yep," Batgirl confirmed solemnly. "Something weird is going on."

"This guy here was talking about an employer earlier." Nightwing nudged his captive with his foot. "Think we're looking at an organized crime team?"

"I really don't know," Batgirl admitted. "Even if it was, it would have had to start somewhere. Most of those villains were all locked up in high-security prisons. They would have needed at least a little help from someone on the outside in order to escape so thoroughly."

"Batman's investigating, I suppose?"

"Yeah, and I think he's got Superman and Flash keeping an eye out for suspicious activity too."

Nightwing nodded. "I'll let you know if I find anything. Right now, though, I have to get this guy to the police station." He looked back at his friend. "It was good seeing you again, Barbara."

"You too, Dick." As swiftly as she had appeared, Batgirl vanished, leaving Nightwing pondering over the news as he lugged the burglar to jail.


	4. Chapter Three: Alien In The Desert

**_A/N: All right, now the ball's getting rolling! Thanks to _**_Jazbez, doglover500, leathman, Jess Marilyn, JDP95_**_, and _**_Dextra2_**_ for reviewing, and to _**_LadyDragonfly123_**_ and _**_JDP95_**_ for subscribing. Special thanks to _**_Jess Marilyn_**_ and _**_JDP95_**_, who kindly took the time to review on every chapter despite only finding the story yesterday. It means a lot to me!_  
**

_Timeline: September 2000 to November 2000_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Alien in the Desert**

"I don't know, Bruce – are you sure there was really an alien ship that crashed here?" Superman inquired as he flew over the barren landscape of the Arizona desert.

"Positive," Batman replied from the cockpit of his Batplane. "Readings from satellites in orbit reported a foreign object entering the atmosphere just above Arizona. My sensors indicate that it's a pod of some sort."

"Well, I hope you know – wait! There it is!" Superman dove to the ground, landing just in front of a small, smoking spaceship. Seconds later, Batman landed his plane and stepped out, running a portable scanner over the pod.

"Is there anything in it?" Superman wondered.

"I'm not picking up any signs of life," Batman replied, "but oddly enough, the signals I'm getting are remarkably similar to the readings I've received from your Kryptonian biology."

"You're saying there's a dead Kryptonian in there?"

"Why don't you have a look?" Batman suggested.

Superman obliged, using his X-ray vision to scan the pod before blinking in surprise.

"There's a girl in there," he reported.

"Kryptonian?" Batman questioned.

"I don't know," Superman admitted.

"One way to find out." Batman nodded at Superman; Superman shrugged and cut off the top layer of the pod with his heat vision.

All of a sudden there was a surge of energy from the pod, as a red sheet of light exploded from the girl inside. Superman tackled Batman to the ground, shielding him with his own body until things had calmed again.

"She's Kryptonian, all right," Batman commented, unfazed by how close he'd come to being fried.

The alien girl was blonde-haired and dressed in a simple white bodysuit. She looked dazed and disoriented as she took in her surroundings with confusion.

"Where am I?" she asked, turning her blue eyes on Superman, instantly identifying him as a fellow Kryptonian.

"You're on Earth, in the Sol system," Superman responded, watching her carefully, ready to attack if she proved to be a threat, yet still curious about this fellow Kryptonian.

"Earth! Finally!" the girl exclaimed. Then she frowned. "What year is it?"

"2000," Superman replied, while Batman went over to examine the pod.

The girl blinked. "That's a _lot _of time…" she muttered, seemingly to herself.

"Do you know how you came to be in this pod?" Batman inquired.

The girl turned her head to look at him. "Sure," she said easily. "My dad put me in suspended animation almost thirty years ago. He said he was going to program the pod to travel to Earth."

Batman nodded, satisfied. "That would explain the lack of vital signs."

"Why did your father do that?" Superman asked.

The girl sighed sadly. "Because my planet was destroyed."

"Krypton?" Superman guessed. The girl shook her head.

"No, we managed to escape that. We went to Argos – but then that blew up too."

"So why Earth?" Batman questioned.

"Well, apparently my uncle and aunt sent my baby cousin here when Krypton was destroyed. My dad said I should look for him. I suppose he's grown up now, though." A sudden thought occurred to her, and she scrutinized Superman. "Say…you wouldn't happen to know Kal-El, would you?"

Superman blinked in shock. "That's my Kryptonian name," he admitted carefully. "How did you know that?"

The girl's face brightened with equal amounts of incredulity and joy as she threw herself on Superman. "Kal-El! Finally! It's been _ages_, simply ages – and gosh, you're older than me now. That's a little weird…"

Superman seemed frozen, totally nonplussed. "I'm sorry?"

The girl finally pulled away, and Superman was surprised to see her eyes glistening with tears. "My name is Kara Zor-El. I'm your cousin."

* * *

Princess Diana of the Amazons pulled her mare to a stop on the sandy beach of Paradise Island, staring out at the sea which separated Themyscira from Man's World. She could still clearly remember every detail of her first visit to the mortal realm.

Back then, Diana had been the youngest of the Amazons, the only one who had not fought in the great battle against Ares that preceded the Amazons' migration to Themyscira. So by the time U.S. Air Force pilot Steve Trevor crashed onto the island, Diana was restless enough for adventure to volunteer to escort him back to his world. Of course, she'd ended up falling in love with the handsome Steve…

Diana had no doubt that she would have stayed in Man's World had Steve not perished in the human conflict known as the Vietnam War. As it was, she'd spent over nine years in the mortal world – and of the many years in her extended life, Diana considered those nine to be the best. None of the other Amazons, save her mother, could understand that – she had to be the only Amazon in centuries to fall for a mortal man.

It wasn't just Steve, either. Diana had made plenty of friends during her visit to Man's World – most significant were those in the Justice Society. Diana had thought it was a wonderful organization at the time, and had not hesitated to join the others on the team in their worthy cause. She often wondered what had become of her old friends. She knew most of them would probably still be alive, but she had long since learned never to underestimate the frailty of mortals. Steve's death – and Jay Garrick's – was excellent proof of that.

"Diana, are you brooding again?" inquired the musical voice of her adopted sister, Donna.

Diana had not been able to completely isolate herself from Man's World. About fifteen years after she left, she had been overcome by the desire to visit again. She'd intended to use the opportunity to check in on her old friends from the Society, but had not been able to locate them. On her way back to Themyscira, she'd come across a burning apartment building from which she rescued a toddler girl, whose parents had already died in the fire. Unable to find a suitable home for the child, Diana had taken the girl back to Themyscira. Queen Hippolyta decided to adopt the youngster and had intervened for her with the goddess Hera in order to grant the new child full Amazon powers. Donna was now sixteen years old, and almost as precocious as Diana herself had been at that age.

"I am not brooding," Diana insisted, her eyes never leaving the ocean.

"Sure you're not," Donna replied disbelievingly as she flew onto the beach. She noticed her sister's faraway gaze and sighed. "You could always go back, you know."

The only answer she received was silence. It didn't take long for her to realize Diana had not heard a word she'd said.

"Do you feel it?" Diana asked.

"Feel what?"

"The world is in turmoil again. Something big is happening…something momentous."

"You lost me," Donna admitted.

"There was a disturbance in the cosmic balance over ten months ago," Diana explained. "I felt it, and so did every other Amazon."

Donna frowned. "But I didn't –"

"That's because you're still young. I thought the imbalance would eventually right itself, but it hasn't. If anything, it's gotten worse. It's disrupting the planet's forces."

"How do you know all this?"

"Pythia."

"Oh." Of course the Amazons' resident Oracle would know about the great change Diana said was taking place.

"Donna, I have to go back."

Donna nodded. "Of course."

"As soon as possible," Diana continued. Donna raised an eyebrow.

"Well, then, you'd better tell Mother. And the whole world will have to prepare for the return of Wonder Woman."

* * *

_**A/N: It might seem that there's many little things happening in a lot of time, but bear in mind that this is just the beginning of the story - the plot threads have to come into play one by one before they start weaving together. Anyway, it shouldn't be too disjointed - at least, I hope I wrote it well enough that it isn't.**_


	5. Chapter Four: Martian In The Lab

_**A/N: I am so glad you guys are enjoying this fic :) How do I know you're enjoying it? Oh, because you guys are kind and considerate enough to leave me wonderful, wonderful reviews :) Thank you to **Jazbez, Jess Marilyn, doglover500, Dextra2, **and **leathman **for reviewing!**  
_

_Timeline: January 2001  
_

* * *

**Chapter Four: Martian in the Lab**

"This is getting to be a habit, Bruce," Superman commented as they made their way stealthily through the dark corridors of S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Aren't you the one who keeps saying I shouldn't be such a loner?"

"Touché," Superman conceded. "Still, what are we _really _doing here? And don't tell me it's to investigate Cadmus."

"It is," Batman replied. "But if we happen to delete some of the more sensitive files they've collected on us, it won't be the end of the world."

"Isn't that a little unethical?" Superman accused.

"Do you _really_ want the government aware of all our secrets?"

Superman frowned. "Well, no…"

"Exactly." Batman stopped outside a locked door and proceeded to disarm the alarm. "Speaking of secrets, how's your cousin?"

"She's still adjusting to life on Earth, but my parents say she's doing well in school." After her incongruous landing on Earth four months earlier, Superman had taken Kara home to Smallville to live with Martha and Jonathan Kent.

"Does she have all your abilities?"

"Yes. Why?"

Batman shrugged absently. "It just confirms my theory that all Kryptonians derive their powers from a yellow sun."

"I could have told you that years ago," Superman pointed out.

"True, but you were one of a kind back then. We wouldn't have been able to prove it for certain."

Superman chuckled at the typical Batman response. "Spoken like a true detective."

The light on the electronic lock blinked green under Batman's experienced hand, and he pushed the door open silently. The two of them entered a long, blue-lit hall that seemed to echo with whispers. Here and there, there were pedestals topped with small monitors.

"What is this place?" Superman wondered as they moved farther down.

"Observation and experimentation." Batman gestured to a point in front of them.

Up ahead, the hall widened into a windowless room of sorts. There was a significant amount of machinery and equipment here, all connected in some way. In the center of the room was a high plexiglass cylinder full of some amniotic liquid that encased the tall, green, unconscious, and decidedly alien creature inside.

"Another alien?" Superman said in shock, flying over to the cylinder to get a better look while Batman immediately made his way to the computer console. "Bruce, what are they doing to it?"

"Give me a minute." In a few more moments, Batman had successfully hacked the security and encryption, allowing him to access any information he wanted. "Judging by the logs, it was captured by an expedition to Mars in February last year. Cadmus has been keeping it here in a suspended state to observe and study."

"It's a Martian?"

"Apparently."

"They haven't…_experimented _on it, have they?" Superman inquired in concern.

It took five seconds for Batman to find the appropriate document for an answer. "No."

Superman nodded, relieved. He watched the unconscious Martian for several seconds before breaking the silence.

"Do you know how to get it out?"

Batman looked up sharply. "You're not seriously thinking…"

"Well, we can't just leave it here!" Superman exclaimed. "It needs our help. I'd just break the glass, but I'm afraid I might hurt it."

"We have no idea what this creature can do," Batman cautioned. "It could be dangerous."

"I know, but we can't abandon it." Superman looked at Batman. "Bruce…"

Batman sighed as he set about finding the necessary codes to release the Martian. "Don't blame me if it attacks us."

"Always the optimist, aren't you?"

Batman ignored that.

It took several minutes for the fluid inside the cylinder to drain out. Batman nodded at Superman.

"Now you can break it."

Superman obligingly punched his fist through the plexiglass, shattering the barrier and causing the Martian to fall out. Superman caught it before it could hit the ground. The Martian groaned as it slowly woke up. Instantly, it tensed and struggled.

"Whoa – easy there," Superman said, releasing it. "You're safe now."

The Martian's reddish-orange eyes narrowed and glowed for a brief second before nodding. "I thank you for your assistance," it said, in a calm voice that was decidedly male.

"You're welcome," Superman replied warmly. "What's your name?"

"I am J'onn J'onzz."

"Nice to meet you, J'onn. I'm Superman; the silent one over there is Batman." Superman gestured to the Dark Knight; Batman merely raised an eyebrow.

A sudden gunshot cracked through the stillness, causing all three to dive to the side to avoid getting hit as ten Cadmus guards stormed into the room.

"We must have triggered a silent alarm," Batman reasoned as he flung a batarang at the men.

"I appreciate your help, but you should not have come," J'onn said, knocking two guards together. "These people have great technology at their disposal to subdue anyone who gets in their way."

"Don't count us out just yet." With his heat vision, Superman caused a section of the roof to crumble to the floor, creating a barrier between them and Cadmus. "That won't hold them off for long. Let's go!"

The trio quickly ducked out of the building as the alarms, no longer silent – quite loud now, in fact – blared all around the compound. By the time King Faraday and a group of more seasoned Cadmus operatives got to the site of the disturbance, their quarry was long gone.

* * *

On a small hill some miles from S.T.A.R. Labs, three figures stood against the dark backdrop of the night sky. Superman and Batman used the opportunity to find out more about their new Martian friend – J'onn gave them the abridged version of his story.

"My species was known as the Green Martians," he told them. "We were a peaceful people, content to live on our own. Our civilization thrived for millennia. However, we were not the only residents on Mars. Approximately five hundred years ago, another Martian race, the White Martians, attacked our capital. The war raged for centuries. By the end, the White Martians had destroyed every Green Martian, save myself. I am the last of my kind. I was living a lonely existence on Mars, hiding from the White Martians, until I was captured by the human expedition some months ago."

"What did they do to you?" Batman inquired.

"I do not know. They placed me in suspended animation, and the next thing I remember is the two of you helping me."

There was a pause as the two heroes contemplated this.

"What are you going to do now?" Batman asked.

"I'm not certain," J'onn admitted. "But I wish you to know that I appreciate all that you have done for me."

"I could help you get back to Mars, if that's what you want," Superman offered. J'onn shook his head.

"Thank you, but no." His red eyes were sad. "Mars is now the domain of the White Martians. It has not been my home for many decades." He paused, looking out over the view of the landscape his elevated position offered him. "I believe I will stay here, on Earth. It has much to offer, and I would very much like to study your culture. That is, of course, if I am allowed to," he added, glancing at the other two.

"You're welcome to stay," Superman invited warmly. "You wouldn't be the first alien to make it your home." He smiled.

"Indeed." J'onn looked at Superman. "I sense you are not from this world, either."

"My planet was destroyed when I was a baby," Superman explained. "I grew up here. Earth's the only home I've ever known."

"Then perhaps I, too, will find a home for myself here."

"There is the problem of how you're going to blend in with the locals," Batman pointed out, subtly running his eyes over J'onn's distinctive form. "Cadmus will be looking for you, and you won't be able to escape notice looking like that."

J'onn looked down at himself for a moment before his body moved and changed. Within the blink of an eye, he had morphed into a tall human man with dark hair and nondescript clothing.

"Will this do?" he asked, with a hint of humor.

"That could work." Batman nodded approvingly.

"That will be fine." Superman clapped him on the shoulder. "You'll need a name."

J'onn smiled for the first time since meeting them. "I have one. John Jones."

* * *

**_A/N: So, with the appearance of J'onn, that makes six of the Justice League's seven founders to feature in this story so far. We're still missing Green Lantern - but not for long! He show up tomorrow, so stay tuned!_**


	6. Chapter Five: Return Of The Amazon

_**A/N: Thank you to **Jazbez, doglover500, **and **leathman **for reviewing on the last chapter! **  
_

_**Today, we will be introduced to the final JL founding member of the Diamond Earth universe. The Green Lantern of Diamond Earth may or may not be who you expect, but I put him in because I like him the best.  
**_

_Timeline: January 2001 to August 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Five: Return of the Amazon**

The doorbell buzzed gently, alerting Barry that there was someone outside.

"Wally, get the door, would you?" he called from the kitchen where he was helping Iris knead dough.

Wally got up from his seat in the living room and walked to the door. It felt like simply ages for someone as fast as he was, but it was a necessary charade in order to keep people from suspecting his secret – it just wouldn't do for him to answer the door less than half a second after the bell was rung. Wally made sure he waited at least six seconds before he pulled the door open…and once he did, his jaw dropped.

It was hard not to stare. Outside on the porch stood the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her eyes were as clear a blue as the Aegean Sea, and her long hair was as black as a raven's wing. The blouse and jeans she wore, though casual, barely did anything to hide her flawless skin.

Feeling _very _tongue-tied – which was a rarity for him – Wally could do nothing but gaze slack-jawed at the raven-haired angel on the porch. For her part, the visitor smiled brilliantly at him and said, "Hello. Does Barry Allen live here?"

"Er…ah…um…" Wally managed to stammer – before his lightning quick brain caught up with his stupefied senses and he regained his manners. "Oh, Barry! Sure…come on in. I'll get him for you."

As the woman graciously entered the house, Wally went to the kitchen to inform his uncle about her arrival.

"Uncle Barry, there's a super-hot chick waiting for you in the living room."

Barry looked confused while Iris raised an eyebrow.

"Super-hot chick?" she repeated. "Barry, is there something I should know?"

Barry couldn't help chuckling. "Iris…"

Iris shook her head with a smile as she took the blob of dough from his hands. "Go on, then. You wouldn't want to keep a beautiful woman waiting."

"You're the most beautiful woman in my eyes," Barry assured her as he followed Wally to the living room. He stared at the visitor waiting for him. "Diana?" he gaped incredulously.

"Barry." Diana smiled warmly and rose to embrace him. "How have you been, old friend?"

"Good," Barry replied, returning her hug. "Man, it's been, what – thirty years?"

"Thirty-one," Diana supplied. "It's good to see you."

"Likewise, Di."

"Wait," Wally interjected, looking from his uncle to Diana. "You two know each other?"

Barry smiled. "Wally, meet Princess Diana of the Amazons. Di, meet my nephew, Wally. He's the new Flash. He took over from me about two years ago."

"It's very nice to meet you," Diana said, shaking Wally's hand.

Wally, for his part, could only blink in surprise. "You're Wonder Woman? From the Justice Society?"

Diana shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

"Wow." Wally grinned. "Wow," he said again.

"What brings you back here, Diana?" Barry inquired as they all sat down.

"There is a new danger abroad," Diana informed him solemnly. "One that threatens the very existence of the world."

Barry frowned. "Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good. What kind of threat?"

"I don't know. I first felt its presence twelve months ago, on the night of the new millennium. Its power has only increased since then. Barry, I fear for us."

"You're starting to sound like Ted," Barry noted. "He was an incurable pessimist too."

Diana didn't smile. "It is no joke, Barry. There is a great danger coming, and the only way we'll have a chance against it is if we do what we did last time."

Barry looked puzzled. "Which was…?"

"Work together. There is strength in numbers. Only together will we have a fighting chance."

Barry sighed heavily. "I know what you mean, Di. But you gotta understand…the rest of us – those that survived – we're all getting on in years. We're too old to fight supernatural things like world-threatening dangers."

"I understand. Do you know if any of the others are still active?"

"As heroes?" Barry thought. "I really don't know, Di."

Diana looked disappointed. "No one?"

"Look, Diana – the Justice Society disbanded over twenty years ago. We lost Dinah and Jim – and you – not to mention Jay…and Kent resigned. Hell, that was the whole reason we split – we all realized it was time for us to move on. The Society was a great thing, but it won't live again, Diana. It's served its purpose. Now, as I keep telling young Wally over here…" He nodded at his nephew, who was listening attentively. "…the new generation's stepping up. The world has new protectors, Di – people like Superman and Batman and Hawkgirl – they don't need us old fogies anymore."

"You're still young, Barry," Diana said fondly.

"Maybe to you – you're what, three thousand?" (Wally gaped at the large figure.)

"Minus a few centuries," Diana conceded.

"You see?" Barry said. He sighed. "We're not immortal, Di. We did great things in the Society, but now it's the young folks' turn to save the world. I'll help any way I can, but if I fight on the front, I'm more likely to get myself killed than be of any real use."

Diana smiled slightly. "I understand, Barry. In any case, I wasn't looking to revive the Society – I just wanted to warn you so you'd be prepared." She stood to go. "It was wonderful to see you again, Barry." She headed for the door.

"Di."

Diana paused. "Yes?"

"Are you staying?"

"In Man's World?" Diana considered that. "Yes. I'm needed here. Eventually I will return to Themyscira, but not now."

"Oh, good. Then you can stay for dinner." Barry grinned. Diana looked startled.

"Oh, I couldn't…" she began to protest.

"Nonsense," Barry said dismissively. "We're friends, aren't we? And we haven't seen each other in years. You're staying for dinner."

Diana smiled warmly. "All right."

* * *

It was a clear, sunny August day, just the type of weather that was perfect for test piloting new prototypes.

Provided, of course, that the test pilots behaved and did as they were told instead of fooling around with _expensive _new models.

"Hal Jordan!" an exasperated Carol Ferris yelled into the comm. "Bring that plane down at _least _another thousand feet! _Now_!"

_"Relax, Carol," _Hal's annoyingly confident voice boomed from the speakers. _"The whole point of this test flight is to see what this baby can really do. I'm testing how high it can go before the engine dies. You _did _design this thing to have a higher endurance than any plane to date, didn't you?"_

"You're insane," Carol growled. "I'm not going to tell you again, Hal – get that plane down before I take the cost of its damage repairs out of _your _personal bank account."

_"Carol, babe, seriously – chill. I know planes; I know how far I can push this thing. Trust me."_

Carol glowered at the speaker before frustratedly deciding that making Hal Jordan listen to reason was a hopeless battle.

"Hal, I swear, if you get a _single_ scratch on that plane…"

The only response she got was a hearty chuckle from the irrepressible pilot she had the misfortune of dating.

* * *

"Man, you were seriously pushing Carol's buttons with that stunt you pulled with the new model," Ace Morgan remarked as he and Hal relaxed in the hangar with a few bottles of beer. "You wanna watch out for that – Carol Ferris is not a woman you want to cross."

"Don't worry." Hal was unrepentant. "She loves me."

"You'd better hope so."

"Look, I proved the plane could go more than thirty thousand feet up, _and _I landed it safely on the ground without a single scratch. Carol's ticked, but she's more resigned than anything by now. She knows me too well."

Ace shook his head. "Only you, buddy. Only you would be able to do this sort of thing and get away with it."

"That's 'cause I'm the U.S.A.F.'s best pilot." Hal grinned and took a swig of his beer.

"You should still tone it down a little," Ace advised. "Carol's the vice-president of Ferris Aircraft."

Hal shrugged. "Doesn't really make a difference to me. I only test the planes as a favor to her," he pointed out.

"True," Ace conceded. He smiled wryly. "You're incorrigible, you know?"

"Amen to that." Hal knocked his beer bottle against Ace's and they both drank.

"Morgan! I want to talk to you."

Both pilots turned to see none other than Carol Ferris standing in the doorway.

"Sure thing," Ace agreed, springing up from his seat with a significant look at Hal.

Hal, for his part, simply waved cheekily at his on/off girlfriend. Carol narrowed her eyes at him.

"Don't go anywhere, Hal," she warned. "I want a word with you as well."

"I'll be waiting," Hal called back cheerily. Carol scowled and left the hangar with Ace.

Hal swirled his beer around in its bottle for a minute or two, waiting for his turn with Carol. Knowing her, it was sure to be a fiery display. He chuckled to himself.

What he didn't expect was for a ball of glowing green energy to suddenly envelope him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, scrabbling at the concave walls of his supernatural prison. "Let me out!"

It was pointless – probably ridiculous – to demand his release when there was no one in sight, but it's not everyday you get abducted by a green ball – and it's even rarer for said green ball to defy the laws of gravity, carrying you with it as it makes its way to some unknown, predetermined destination.

All this ran through Hal Jordan's head as his spherical cage lifted him off the ground and crashed through the roof of the hanger as it continued to float upwards. However, as it suddenly picked up the pace and flew with purpose to a target only it knew about, there was only one thought in the unfortunate pilot's mind.

_Carol's going to kill me._

* * *

_**A/N: Yup, I went with Hal Jordan. He's the original, after all. Plus, the Green Lantern film last year endeared him to me. However, some other Lanterns might show up in subsequent stories...you never know.**  
_

_**On a not-so-related note, some of you may know that I am a member of a fanfiction group known as the Star Quill Society. We are dedicated to rebooting the Legion of Superheroes universe, and we've laid down all the foundation and even written and posted the first part of it. However, one of our members recently had to cease active membership, and though I know most of you probably aren't interested, we're looking for some writers to help us out. If you're interested, you can check the Star Quill Society profile page for more information, or the LoSH Arete wiki for details on the in-story universe.  
**_


	7. Chapter Six: The Lantern's Choice

_**A/N: Thanks to **Jazbez, doglover500, Dextra2, Jess Marilyn, **and **leathman **for your review****s!**  
_

_Timeline: August 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Six: The Lantern's Choice**

Kent Nelson opened his eyes, coming out of his meditative trance.

"Hello, Diana," he greeted, turning around with a smile.

Wonder Woman stood before him with a hand on one hip. "I should have known you wouldn't look any older," she commented wryly.

Kent shrugged. "Immortality does have its perks."

Diana smiled. "How are you, Kent?"

"Well, thank you. And you?"

Diana sighed, looking away. Kent answered his own question.

"You're worried about the disturbance in the forces of nature."

Diana looked up in surprise. "How did you…" He simply tapped his temple, and she shook her head. "Of course. Wizard powers. I don't think I'll ever get used to that."

"I'm actually surprised you managed to find my tower," Kent said.

"Kent, I have an invisible plane." Diana was smiling again. "And even if I didn't, I still remember where you live."

"Point taken," Kent conceded. As they started walking to the dining room, where Inza was laying out refreshments, he asked, "So why are you here?"

"I was hoping you might have some information regarding the new threat." Diana sat down at Kent's silent invitation, but did not touch the food. "It grows stronger every day."

"I don't know much about it," Kent admitted. "My scrying has yet to reveal its true nature. All I know is what will become of Earth should this…thing not be stopped."

"And how can it be stopped?"

"I don't know yet – but I'm working on it. It won't be easy, though. Certainly it is far beyond the capabilities of any one hero to combat alone."

"That's why I'm trying to encourage cooperation between the world's current heroes," Diana said. "From what I've seen, there's already a fair bit of that, but it could be better. More than half the heroes presently active are unconnected, and most are unaware that such a dark creature looms on the near horizon."

"A fair strategy." Kent blew the steam off his tea. "Who have you contacted so far?"

"I met with Barry and his nephew Wally, the new Flash, when I first came, and I've spent the last few months reacquainting myself with Man's World and getting updated on modern happenings."

"So just Barry and Wally, then."

Diana nodded, silently contemplative for a moment before she said, "Barry told me what happened with the Society after I left."

"We were bound to move on sometime, Diana," Kent pointed out.

"I know, but I was hoping everyone would still be alive. It hasn't been _that _long."

Kent sighed. "It's a risk we all take, Diana," he reasoned. "If it's any consolation, Jim and Dinah went peacefully. Jim's service was up, and Dinah…well, it was unavoidable. Her daughter is the new Black Canary – operating from Star City, I believe."

"Yes, so I've heard. Is it true her husband – you know, the new mayor – is also a superhero?"

"I'm not certain. I don't even know if you could classify him as 'super'. I've been…out of touch, you could say."

"Still, you must have _some _contacts in the hero world still."

"A few," Kent allowed.

"Can you get me in touch with them? The sooner everyone is linked, the better."

Kent observed her through wise eyes. "The years haven't changed you, Diana," he noted. "You still possess that same fiery Amazon warrior spirit – though I think you have also retained the lessons you learned during your time here."

"Immortality has its perks," she quoted his words back to him. He smiled.

"Indeed. Inza, love," he addressed his wife, who had been silently observing the whole conversation from her seat beside him. "I'll probably be out for the rest of the day. You don't mind, do you?"

Inza shook her head. "Do what you have to do, as long as you come back to me."

"Of course," he promised, giving her a quick kiss before rising. "Shall we, Diana?"

"We're going somewhere?" she surmised, also standing up.

"Several somewheres, as a matter of fact." He extended his hand to her. "It's time for you to meet the heroes of today."

* * *

After almost two hours, Hal's green prison deposited him somewhere in the Nevada desert, right next to the still form of a humanoid being with purplish skin who was wearing a green and black uniform.

Hal scrambled back at once, but his curiosity was piqued, and he edged closer to the person. Alien or not, he was obviously wounded and needed help.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hal tentatively reached out a hand to gently shake the stranger. He was not prepared for the alien's fingers to grasp his wrist. "Whoa – take it easy."

The alien, suddenly much stronger than he had appeared mere moments ago, observed him intently, his black eyes seeming to peer into Hal's very soul. Hal was starting to get rather creeped when the alien asked, "What is your name?"

"Uh…Hal. Hal Jordan," Hal replied.

"Hal Jordan," the alien repeated. "I am Abin Sur, Green Lantern of Sector 2814."

Hal blinked. "Hi," he said finally. "What are you doing on Earth?"

"I was en route to help with the current crisis, but my ship lost power and I crashed here."

"Okay…look, let me get you to a hospital…they can help…"

But Abin Sur shook his head. "I haven't much time, Hal Jordan." He glanced at his hand, which was still clasping Hal's, and Hal noticed for the first time the green ring on the alien's finger. "The ring chose you as my successor; it is now your duty to protect this planet and all others in this sector."

"I don't understand," said a bewildered Hal.

"Take the ring, Hal Jordan," Abin Sur instructed. "It will bend to your will, and obey your commands." Abin Sur removed the ring from his finger and placed it in Hal's palm. "You are its master now."

It occurred to Hal that this was a life-changing, momentous, and destiny-shaping event. He suddenly felt very small. "I don't know what to do with it."

Abin Sur's voice was growing weaker. "The Guardians…will explain it all to you…You will do well, I think – for a Green Lantern can have no fear, and you possess none."

"No fear, huh?" Hal joked weakly. "I'm not so sure about that. Who are these Guardians?"

"Trust the ring, Hal Jordan." Abin Sur was now speaking in barely a whisper. "It will guide you. You must…protect…Earth…"

"But…" Hal started to protest, only to stop when it became clear Abin Sur was dead. Somber, he gazed down at the ring on his palm.

After a moment's hesitation, he slipped it onto his finger.

* * *

_**A/N: Right, I know the chapters are kind of short, but don't worry - they get longer.**_


	8. Chapter Seven: Crash Landing

_**A/N: Firstly, I apologize for the lateness of this update - I didn't expect to be so busy today! Secondly, I want to thank **Jess Marilyn, Dextra2**, and **leathman** for reviewing on Chapter Six.**_

_**And yes, **leath**, Doctor Fate, as a founding member of the Justice Society and an experienced hero, will feature quite prominently in a few of my Tales of Diamond Earth.  
**_

_**I think you will all recognize the new character who appears here :)  
**_

_Timeline: August 2001 to September 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Crash Landing**

It was nearly midnight by the time Doctor Fate returned himself and Wonder Woman to his invisible tower. The day had been spent introducing Wonder Woman to heroes like Superman, Batman, Batgirl, and Black Canary. To all four, Wonder Woman had explained her presence and warned them about the coming threat. She hadn't been the only one giving information, though; her new acquaintances had also told her about the increased activity of villains and the possibility of an organized criminal coalition behind it all. Diana got the feeling this increased activity was a precursor to what was to come.

Now all they could do was wait – wait until the unknown mega-villain decided to show itself and they would ally themselves to take it down. Until then, Diana knew, the heroes of the world would continue doing what they were doing.

"Kent, I believe we have done something productive today."

Doctor Fate nodded. "I believe we have, Diana."

"It's growing stronger." Wonder Woman was solemn. "You know that."

"I do. But I also know that, thanks to you, we will be ready for it when it appears."

"I know we will. Judging from what I've seen today, Earth has excellent protectors."

Doctor Fate chuckled. "It does indeed." He paused for a while. "Are you staying anywhere currently?"

"I move around from place to place. After thirty years, it's not hard for me to maintain a secret identity – without my armor, no one recognizes me."

"My door is open," Fate offered.

Wonder Woman smiled. "I might just take you up on that – if you're sure I won't intrude."

"Diana, even if my house were not a tower, I still maintain a separate dimension for when I want to be alone."

"Don't I know it," she muttered. "And your wife?"

"Inza will not mind. In fact, knowing her, she has probably already prepared a guest room for you."

"Indeed?" Wonder Woman arched an eyebrow. "Your wife is a lovely person, Kent – a rare jewel. I swear to Hera if you hurt her…"

"You know me better than that." Doctor Fate conjured a purple portal in the shape of an ankh. "Shall we?"

Wonder Woman smiled again as she stepped inside the portal with him.

* * *

Nightwing was out doing his nightly rounds in Jump City when a sudden noise from above reached his ears. Looking up, he stared in amazement at the large, alien-looking space pod that blazed a trail of fire behind it as it streaked through the sky like a comet. As it flew behind a building, Nightwing hurried to the site where it would surely crash.

By the time he had found the pod again, it had already impacted, leaving a large, smoke-filled crater in the asphalt not too far from where he turned the corner. Determined to find out if the pod was empty or if any of its potential passengers were a threat to the city, Nightwing cautiously crept closer. He tensed as a hatch opened in the pod, confirming his suspicion that there were extraterrestrials in there, and a figure stepped out.

The female who clambered out of the damaged spacecraft was tall and beautiful, with skin a golden-orange hue and long, sleek, curly hair of a red so vibrant it almost seemed to glow. Her eyes bore no pupils and were pure emerald green. Her curvaceous, lush body was encased in a skimpy purple outfit that was made up more of strips and pieces than any solid fabric.

As Nightwing tensed, prepared to attack should the newcomer prove to be hostile, he was stunned to see her simply curl herself up and hug her knees to her body without bothering to investigate her surroundings – indeed, she did not appear to even notice him. He was further shocked when the beautiful alien dipped her head into her knees and began to cry, the picture of despondent sadness. Nightwing's heart – a closely guarded thing indeed – jerked a little at the sight of her obvious grief.

Resolving that she was not, for the moment, a threat – yet still keeping his guard up – Batman's former protégé warily moved closer, calling out to make his presence known.

At the sound of his voice, the alien snapped her head up (Nightwing was not entirely surprised to see her eyes glowing vividly) and immediately assumed a defensive stance, holding her hands in front of her; blazing green orbs of energy formed around her fists, and Nightwing stepped back, deferring to her in an attempt to assure her he was not a threat, so as not to be on the receiving end of that lethal-looking light.

"Hey, it's okay," he said placatingly, holding his hands up, palms out. "I'm not going to hurt you."

His show of non-aggressiveness seemed to work; the alien lowered her hands and allowed the green light to fade away. Nightwing risked coming forward slowly; though the alien tensed, she did not attack.

Now what? Nightwing wasn't quite sure what to do now. He felt obligated to help her find her way somehow, but he didn't know how to do it. It was almost a given that she couldn't understand him, but he asked anyway, "Do you speak English?"

As he'd feared, the alien simply cocked her head to the side and stared at him blankly. Nightwing mentally noted a random thought that with all the aliens that seemed to abound in the universe, someone really ought to invent a standardized, universal language that would be understood throughout the galaxy.

As it was, he was forced to revert to sign language. Using his hands to gesture, he spoke slowly, enunciating each word carefully.

"My…name…is…Nightwing. Who…are…you?"

Though she frowned, the alien seemed to understand the gist of his message, because a second later her mouth opened and a stream of words in a garbled alien language came out.

"Yeah, um…I really don't understand what you're saying…" Honestly, he was actually feeling a little overwhelmed. How was he supposed to help this alien girl if he couldn't even communicate with her?

Before he had the opportunity to think of anything else, the alien rushed towards him. Nightwing barely had time to stiffen before her full lips came crashing down on his.

It was a kiss unlike any other he had ever experienced, full of emotions and needs and a glimpse of a life that was definitely not his. Nightwing was shocked to find that he was _enjoying _it.

But it was a kiss with a _stranger_. An _alien _stranger.

He made to pull away, but she let go first – as swiftly as she had kissed him, she stopped.

"I apologize for that," she said – in _English_, Nightwing noted dazedly. His mind was still reeling from the kiss and all its implications. "I see from your memories that a kiss such as that is considered an act of deep emotional intimacy on your planet. However, on my world, lip contact is merely a means of communication and learning."

Nightwing frowned, a sense of horror beginning to tingle up his back. "You saw my _memories_?"

"Not all of them," she assured him. "I simply took the information I needed from your mind – mostly, knowledge about your culture and language. I assure you most earnestly, I have not accessed any personal memories."

"Right. Okay." Nightwing was still suspicious, but he let it pass. "So who are you?"

"My name is Koriand'r," she replied. "I come from a distant planet called Tamaran."

"How did you get here?"

Koriand'r fell silent, and Nightwing remembered her brief crying bout a few minutes ago.

"I would rather not speak about it," Koriand'r said. "It is not a pleasant thing."

"Okay." Nightwing shrugged, figuring she was entitled to her secrets. It didn't really matter how she got to Earth, anyway – the important thing was what she was going to do now that she was here.

"Do you know where I might find shelter for the night?" Koriand'r inquired politely.

"Um…"

"Never mind. It is not fair of me to impose on you. I will fend for myself. I thank you for the information you have given me." Koriand'r rose into the air, about to fly away.

"Don't you have any way to contact your planet?" Nightwing asked. "Surely they can help you."

A flicker of sorrow shadowed Koriand'r's eyes as she sighed. "I…cannot return to Tamaran."

Nightwing frowned. "Why not?"

"I just cannot," she said sadly. "In all likelihood I will remain on this planet. I have nowhere else to go." She closed her eyes; Nightwing pondered her words. "I am very glad for your help, Nightwing. Perhaps, X'hal willing, we will meet again." She began to take off into the sky, but Nightwing called her back.

"Wait."

Koriand'r paused, but did not descend. "Yes?"

"Come with me."

"I'm sorry?" Koriand'r said, using a contraction for the first time.

"Come with me," Nightwing repeated. "I'll take you to my home. You can stay there until you figure out what you want to do."

Koriand'r blinked. "I could not possibly –"

"Hey, don't worry about it." He waved her objection aside. "I'm what people around here call a hero – I help people any way I can."

"A hero…" Koriand'r repeated, searching through Nightwing's memories for the meaning of the word. "I see…but I'm afraid I don't entirely understand," she confessed. "Do you make your living by fighting in costume?"

Nightwing chuckled. "Tell you what – I'll explain it all to you if you come home with me. You do still need a place to stay, don't you?"

Koriand'r smiled as she dropped from the air to land next to him. "Thank you," she said sincerely.

Nightwing smiled back at her – it was amazing how fast they had become friends. "You're welcome."

* * *

_**A/N: I hope I didn't make it too corny or cheesy - and I certainly hope I stayed true to these classic DC characters. What do you think?**_


	9. Chapter Eight: Chaos In The City

_**A/N: Thanks to **Dextra2, Jazbez, Jess Marilyn,** and **doglover500** for reviewing! **  
_

_**Today's chapter is longer, and somewhat more action-filled than previous ones. It also links Diamond Earth with a real-life historical event.  
**_

_Timeline: September 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Chaos in the City**

Central Park in the autumn was a sight to behold. The natural cycle that caused the leaves to shed their traditional green clothing and dress up in bright reds and golds also subtly influenced the other plants in the park. The final flowers of the season were often brighter, bigger, and more fragrant than their predecessors – it was as if Mother Nature was putting on her best show before taking her annual winter vacation.

It was in this park that Detective John Jones felt most at peace, in harmony with the natural forces of his new homeworld. New York's six-hundred-acre park was his favorite place on Earth.

John Jones had only been with the NYPD for a few months, but he was already becoming recognized as a skilled detective. He had even made friends with most of his colleagues. Overall, they were good people, honest and trustworthy, with a firm belief in right and wrong that spurred them on in their work on the force.

Still, John missed his family. Despite the three hundred-odd years that had passed since his mate and children had perished in the war, the heartache he still carried could be felt. As closely as he could determine, today's date, September 11, was around the day they had died on Mars three centuries ago. John had therefore decided to take a trek in Central Park in honor of their memory before going in to work for the day.

The distant screech of a metallic crash reached his sensitive Martian ears, and John looked up, searching for the source of the noise. A sudden sense of foreboding hit him full force as he observed a plane colliding with one of the World Trade Center towers.

* * *

Lois Lane had been typing out a story at her computer when a sudden shocked yell from the break room caught her attention. Across from her, Clark Kent jumped.

"Holy _crap_!" Jimmy Olsen could clearly be heard yelling. His shout had practically everyone in the _Daily Planet _rushing to the break room, where the breaking news report on the TV screen soon made clear the cause of his alarm.

_"…as you can see, a large part of the North Tower has been destroyed, and thousands of people remain trapped on the upper floors. Emergency response units are trying to get everyone out, but there's no telling when – oh my God!"_

The news reporter's exclamation of horrified shock was echoed by almost everyone in the room, as the camera showed another plane crashing into the second tower, mere minutes after the first tower had been hit.

"It's freaking Armageddon over there!" one journalist exclaimed, his eyes glued to the TV.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lois noticed Clark sneaking out of the room, and she knew that in minutes Superman would be streaking through the skies to help with the disaster.

* * *

Barbara Gordon stared in horror at the grisly scene playing out on her TV. Without even seeming to think about it, her hand reached for her phone to call her best friend. Jump City was a mere thirty-five miles from New York – a distance that was entirely too small for her comfort at this moment.

"Dick, did you see –"

_"I saw." _Over the phone, Dick's voice was grim. _"Classes on campus were just cancelled. I'm on my way over to help right now."_

Barbara bit her lip. "Be careful, Dick."

_"Always,"_ came his familiar reply, before the receiver clicked.

* * *

After thinking about it for a while, John changed his form to a more humanoid version of his green Martian shape. He figured it was the best way to maintain his anonymity without frightening the local populace with his true form.

Once that was done, he wasted no time flying to the site of the disaster. His eyes quickly took in the carnage. Both the Towers had been hit and were burning. Despite the relatively short time that had passed since the first plane crashed, the ground below was already a teeming mass of NYPD officers, FDNY firemen, and medical personnel. Evacuation of the lower floors was already underway – but there were still thousands trapped on the upper levels with no way to get down. J'onn knew the fires in the Towers would affect his ability to help, but he was determined not to let that stop him. Diving down, he sought out one of the numerous FDNY commanders to offer his help.

Needless to say, the man was startled by his appearance.

"Who are you?" he demanded tersely, while the rest of his unit raced to the damaged towers to do their jobs.

"My name does not matter," John – or rather, J'onn – told him. "Tell me what I can do to help."

"We've got over nine thousand people still in the building; most of them are below the impact zone – they're evacuating as we speak. But we have at least two thousand people trapped above the points of impact with no way of getting down – the planes destroyed nearly all the stairwells connecting the upper floors to the rest of the towers. The only one still intact is in the South Tower, but it's shaky at best – it'll collapse any moment. My men are trying to find a way up there right now."

"What about helicopters?" J'onn suggested.

"Too risky. The smoke and heat would prevent any 'copter from getting near enough to help. If you can fly, now would be a great time to say so."

"I can, but I cannot get too close to the fires."

"Just do whatever you can."

J'onn nodded solemnly and took off; the head fireman went back to organizing his people and the new teams that were arriving every five minutes.

"Borden!" his second-in-command, Ross, yelled. "Michelson's down!"

"He's dead?" Borden questioned.

Ross nodded gravely. "He got hit by falling debris."

Borden closed his eyes for a second before opening them again; there would be time for mourning later. "What's our status?"

"We have twenty units in the North Tower, sixteen in the South – Ferguson's unit is trying to figure out how to get up to the upper floors, and new units are still arriving from the department."

"Any word on the casualties yet?"

"Nothing specific, but the body count estimate is in the triple digits now."

"Shit," Borden swore in shock. He swatted a falling sheet of office paper away from his face just in time to see someone jump from the burning North Tower. "My God, did he just…"

"They're panicking up there," Ross confirmed, wide-eyed as he watched the unfortunate man plummet to his death. "A few are deciding to jump instead of suffering through a fiery death."

"Can't say I blame them," Borden admitted grimly, watching the terrible scene unfold. "But – holy _shit_, they're coming down in _groups _now!"

Sure enough, a cluster of at least ten people had just thrown themselves off the North Tower in a desperate attempt to escape the flames. J'onn, noticing their plight, raced to catch them.

"Who's the green guy?" Ross asked.

"Don't know, don't care as long as he's helping."

Above, J'onn grabbed two people and deposited them safely on a nearby roof as fast as he could before going after the others. But gravity was working against him, pulling the victims down faster than he could reach them…

There was a flash of blue and then Superman was there, gathering three people in his arms while J'onn rescued another two. Then a golden lasso looped out of nowhere and safely ensnared another person, while the final two were caught on a glowing platform of mystic energy.

"Okay, I know Superman, but who's the other two?" Borden wondered.

"Oh my God," Ross said in utter amazement. "I know them! They're from the old Justice Society – that's Doctor Fate and Wonder Woman!"

"You know what? I don't really care. They're helping us – now what do you say we go save some lives?"

* * *

Over the course of the next hour, several more heroes appeared to help. Flash arrived from Central City seconds after Wonder Woman and Doctor Fate, and Nightwing and the alien girl from Jump City – Starfire, she called herself – flew in fifteen minutes later. Between them, they managed to rescue nearly a third of the people trapped above the impact zone; those below had already made their escape with help from the firemen.

Then, at 9:59, things took a turn for the worse when the South Tower abruptly collapsed, killing the seven hundred or so people still trapped inside. It was a serious shock that stunned people into numbness for several seconds as they processed the fact that one of the world's greatest buildings had just literally crumbled. The enormous cloud of dust it raised caused people to choke until the combined efforts of Superman and Flash managed to create a whirlwind to blow it away.

Once the initial shock wore off, Borden doubled rescue efforts. There were far more people trapped in the North Tower than there had been in the South – and if the sinking feeling in his gut was anything to go by, the North Tower would soon follow its twin.

* * *

In the last hour, the seven superheroes in New York had managed to organize themselves somewhat as they carried out their rescue efforts. J'onn was maintaining a telepathic link between all of them for communication while searching through the top floors of the North Tower along with Superman, Wonder Woman, and Starfire. Doctor Fate was circling around in the air just outside the tower, casting portal spells to transport any he or the others found to safety; and Flash and Nightwing were on the ground assisting the firemen.

"This way, everybody – hurry!" Nightwing directed the men and women who stumbled out of Doctor Fate's portals.

A threatening cracking sound alerted Flash to the fact that one fireman was about to get crushed, and he dashed in to prevent that very thing from happening.

"Thanks, Flash," the fireman said, before moving away to another part of the destroyed South Tower to search for survivors.

"This is a nightmare!" Nightwing groaned.

Flash nodded sympathetically – it was a mark of how serious the situation was that he wasn't making any humorous quips. "I know." Then he too zipped away to scan the huge pile of debris that was once the World Trade Center's South Tower.

* * *

Superman punched through a wall on the one-hundred-and-second floor of the North Tower and found about twenty people huddled in an office, waiting for death.

_We have another group here, Fate, _Superman informed the wizard.

A second later, a glowing ankh portal appeared in the office.

"Go, go!" Superman urged. The terrified citizens wasted no time running into the portal, and Superman continued searching through the rooms for the other victims.

_Hundredth floor is clear, _Wonder Woman reported.

_Unfortunately, there are still over a thousand people left on the upper floors, _J'onn reminded.

_Then we must find them, before – _Starfire's statement was suddenly cut off by an ominous grinding from somewhere below them. Before any of the heroes had time to react, the tower shook and the ceiling moved towards them.

* * *

"Flash, look!" Nightwing cried, pointing at the North Tower. Flash stopped running around to stare in horror as the tower started to fold in on itself.

"They'll all be killed!" he exclaimed. "Even Superman!"

"Everyone clear the area!" Borden yelled as loudly as he could even as the tower started to come down.

Out of nowhere, glowing green constructs appeared to support the collapsing tower, halting its fall for the time being. Everyone looked up to see a man in a green-and-black bodysuit hovering in the air, clearly straining to hold the constructs in place; the green energy appeared to be emanating from his ring. As everybody watched, the newcomer groaned, and horizontal beams appeared between the vertical supports to further strengthen the temporary scaffold.

"Get everyone out of there," Green Lantern said through gritted teeth. "I don't know how long I can keep this up."

_Supes, Star, J'onn, Wonder, get everyone the hell out of there NOW! _Flash exclaimed.

The next few minutes passed in a blur of nonstop movement. Superman, J'onn, Wonder Woman, and Starfire moved as quickly as they could to get everyone out of the building. Flash raced around the supernaturally-supported North Tower and the remnants of its southern twin to ensure that there were no stragglers who could get crushed when the tower finally fell. Nightwing grabbed injured injured rescue officers and pulled them to safety. Doctor Fate attempted to aid Green Lantern in supporting the tower while still portalling people out.

But despite all their best efforts, at 10:28, the battle was lost. Green Lantern cried out as his energy constructs gave way and broke, and less than a second later the entire North Tower dropped, killing well over one thousand people and raising another huge cloud of dust.

The World Trade Center was no more.

* * *

_**A/N: I know it's not September yet, but let's take a moment of silence to remember all those who died during the 9/11 crisis. **_

_**I couldn't let such a huge event pass without writing it in - it had too much of an impact. I mean no disrespect and I did a lot of research into the crisis to write it as accurately as I could while still remaining true to my own storyline. I'm sure it's not 100% accurate, anyway - but I did my best. In a way, this chapter is my memorial for 9/11.**_


	10. Chapter Nine: Aftermath

_**A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed - **leathman, Jazbez, Jess Marilyn, Dextra2 **- and thanks to **Jess Marilyn **for fa****voriting too! **  
_

_**Now, let's continue with the aftermath of 9/11 and see how the heroes are coping.  
**_

_Timeline: September 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Aftermath**

It was chaos. The World Trade Center towers were gone, lying in two mountains of crushed rubble ten feet high where once they had been the envy of the world. Dozens of fires were still burning everywhere, adding smoke to the already polluted air that Superman and Flash, despite their best efforts, had been unable to clean up completely. As such, the area was still hazardous to work in – the dust and ash still lingering in the atmosphere was enough to make anyone cough.

However, that didn't seem to stop anyone from rushing to help. For hours after the towers had collapsed, there were people working relentlessly onsite at Ground Zero to look for and rescue any survivors, begin rudimentary cleanup operations, and coordinate inter-department efforts and communications – a lack of which during the actual event had led to regrettably wasted time on repeated searches and the loss of over three hundred firefighters. There was also the gruesome task of finding and collecting and attempting to identify the vast amount of human remains; the collapse of the towers had not been kind, and in many cases there was not even enough to bury. Through it all, the seven superheroes who had rushed to New York remained, doing whatever they could to help.

It was an exceedingly bleak day for everyone, with not even the hint of a silver lining. It was hell, pure and simple. It was _hell _– or as close as one could get to it while still in the world of the living.

The predominant emotion of all who were onsite – indeed, it was the general state of the whole of New York, if not the entire country itself – was shock. Many had not yet fully processed the enormous implications of the attack, and for others, the events of the past six hours had not even sunk in. Such a violent and unexpected strike on U.S. soil had not occurred since the attack on Pearl Harbor sixty years ago. Now September 11, 2001 would join December 7, 1941 as one of the most infamous dates in American history.

* * *

Flash sat down on the broken concrete, his shoulders slumping with exhaustion and the aching, horrible twinge of defeat. Nightwing observed him silently from a distance some feet away and sighed sympathetically. Seeing the normally cheerful speedster so dejected was a painful reminder that the Flash had been active as a superhero for barely three years. Most of the time, it was so easy to forget that Flash was a mere two years older than Nightwing's nineteen – as Dick Grayson was in an excellent position to know, having been Wally West's friend for over five years now.

Nightwing walked over and sat next to his friend. "You okay?"

"No," Flash replied hoarsely, looking up. "No, I'm not okay. Did you _see _what happened out there today?"

Nightwing nodded gravely. "I know. It's terrible."

"You don't seem to be so affected by it," Flash observed.

Nightwing smiled grimly. "I've been doing this a long time, Flash. You learn to accept that there's all kinds of sickos out there who don't care how much damage they do or how many people they kill. The only thing we can do is to make sure we catch those bastards so they can't hurt anyone else."

Flash sighed and leaned back on his arms. "The world is a cruel, heartless place, my friend."

"That it is," Nightwing agreed.

Flash winced, then said, "Do you mind if we talk about something else? I'd rather not spend another hour thinking about how many people died here today."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Well, for starters…" Flash glanced over at where Starfire was assisting search and rescue. "What's the deal with you and the alien babe?"

"Nothing," Nightwing deadpanned.

"Really? Nothing?"

"Nothing," Nightwing confirmed. "Her ship crashed in Jump City three weeks ago – she didn't have anywhere else to go, so she's been living with me. I don't think she's gonna move out anytime soon."

"Ah. A roommate." Flash had an insufferable grin on his face. Nightwing whacked him.

"It's not like that," he said firmly. "Kory and I are just friends."

"Kory?"

"That's what I call her. It's a shortened version of her real name."

"Okay." Flash's tone was neutral, but his expression was anything but. Nightwing glared at him.

"Feeling better?" he inquired.

"Yeah." Flash sighed, somber once more. "But seriously, Dick, how have you been? I haven't seen you since…"

"Since I transferred to Jump City?" Nightwing nodded. "I know. It's been a while."

"Don't you think it's sad that it took a disaster of this magnitude to get us to meet again?" Flash commented, turning his eyes back to the wreckage of Ground Zero. "Don't get me wrong – I'm glad we get to see each other again – I just wish it didn't happen here, you know?"

"Unfortunately, that's life," said Nightwing. "People reunite at the worst possible moments and have to make do with it."

"I don't know how you dealt with this," Flash confessed. "Honestly, I don't. How could you possibly have been doing things like this since you were _nine_?"

Nightwing was quiet for a long while before replying. "One: I was living with the Batman. Two: my parents –"

"You don't get to use that excuse," Flash interrupted. "My childhood wasn't very happy, either, you know. In fact, if you want to get technical, I had it worse than you."

"I know." Nightwing was quiet, giving the 'taboo subjects' a wide berth, just as they'd always promised to do. "But you can't compare our lives, Wally. We went through different things. The events in our lives were different, and they shaped us differently. I was eight years old when I watched Tony Zucco kill my parents, and it hardened me, to a point. But you're not me, Wally – you're not even _like _me. You're different; you care more, you feel more. Don't ever change. Because between you and me, buddy…" Nightwing smiled. "The world needs heroes who will do whatever it takes, like Batman – but it also needs heroes who care, like you."

* * *

Hal Jordan used his ring to create a giant shovel that lifted several tons of debris off a particularly cluttered site. In doing so, he uncovered three dead bodies that had been trapped underneath the rubble. Hal tried to avoid looking at them.

As an Air Force pilot who'd served in the Somali Civil War, he'd seen friends and comrades shot down in the heat of battle, so he was no stranger to death. But this heartless, cruel attack in the middle of a busy city…it made him sick to his stomach.

_It's worse than Pearl Harbor, _he thought grimly to himself. True, he hadn't even been born when the Japanese attacked in 1941 – but he felt this attack was worse. For one thing, it had probably killed more people, and two, it was an unmitigated attack on _civilians_. Whereas the death toll at Pearl Harbor had been mainly servicemen, the body count _here_…

Yes, this was definitely worse.

Hal carefully lowered his pile of building remnants onto one of the large trucks that were waiting to haul the mess away, then turned back to the rest of Ground Zero. He shook his head; cleanup was going to take months.

"That's some ring," someone commented, and Hal whipped his head around to find Superman gazing at him.

Hal held his hand up and glanced at the glowing green band on his finger. After one month, he still hadn't gotten used to it – heck, he hadn't even completed his training on Oa, let alone gone on a real mission. His mentor, Thaal Sinestro, thought he had promise, but that he was still too green (pun not intended) to take on his full responsibilities as a Green Lantern. The only reason he was here now was because he'd heard of the attack and wanted to help.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"Does it do whatever you tell it to?" Superman queried.

"Kind of," Hal admitted. "But only if I have the willpower to see it through."

Superman nodded absently, surveying the damage below. Hal noticed his solemn expression and sighed.

"Sucks, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," Superman agreed.

"You can't save them all, Superman," Wonder Woman said as she flew towards them. Hal couldn't help an appreciative once-over before turning serious again.

"You're Wonder Woman, right?" he asked. "From the old Justice Society?"

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you recognize me. You're a little young to know the Society."

"Hey, the JSA did great things," Hal said. "You may think we've forgotten, but you're remembered more than you think, even by the younger generation. That guy in the helmet who was with you – he's Doctor Fate, isn't he?"

"Yes." Wonder Woman nodded. "You must be the new Green Lantern – Alan Scott's successor."

"Who?" Superman questioned in confusion.

"The Green Lantern Corps is an intergalactic peacekeeping force," Hal explained. "Each Green Lantern has a sector of the cosmos to patrol. Earth is in Sector 2814 – Alan Scott was the Green Lantern in charge of it during the days of the Justice Society."

"And now that duty falls to you," Wonder Woman said.

"I know. I'm pretty new at this, though – only been a Green Lantern a month. Haven't even finished my training."

Wonder Woman nodded. "Then I'm sorry you had to see such a devastating battle so soon. But the fact that you're new only makes your skill all the more impressive."

Hal was about to say something to thank her for her kind words – and yes, maybe flirt a little too – but before he had so much as opened his mouth, Superman was asking another question.

"Wonder Woman, this doesn't have anything to do with the threat you told me about, does it?"

Hal frowned and turned to the Amazon for the answer. Wonder Woman herself looked thoughtful.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I do not believe so, but I have been wrong before. But I don't think this is the work of some supernatural being. Our enemy has not risen to full power yet. We would know if they had."

Hal was about to ask about this enemy, but just then J'onn floated by.

"The rescue teams have found two survivors amidst the wreckage of the South Tower," he informed them. "But they require help to get them out safely."

"I'll do it," Hal volunteered, putting the needs of the people above his desire to learn more about the threat Superman and Wonder Woman were talking about. He flew off, leaving the others hovering in the air.

Superman turned to J'onn. "It's good to see you again, J'onn," he said. "How are you?"

"Well. I have been…living here since you rescued me." J'onn looked sadly at the remains of the World Trade Center. "Yet it seems that even here, I am unable to escape destruction and death."

"The world is cruel," Wonder Woman agreed. "But even in disaster, there is beauty. See how everyone is working together to overcome this tragedy." Down below, many people, even as they worked with great focus and determination to clear up Ground Zero, were talking, sharing with each other. "Were it not for the attack, many of them would likely never have met."

"And many more would still have their lives," J'onn pointed out.

Wonder Woman sighed sorrowfully, but J'onn noticed her blue eyes still held an emotion he had lost a long time ago: hope.

"That is the truth, and nothing can change it," she conceded, "But the gods work in strange ways sometimes. There is a purpose to this happening, a reason for its occurrence – there is a light at the end of the tunnel, though we cannot see it yet."

J'onn was silent in thought for a while, until Wonder Woman excused herself.

"I should go help some more," was her explanation. She moved away, but J'onn called out to her.

"I'm afraid I did not ask your name," he said, his Martian politeness evident.

Wonder Woman smiled. "Diana. It was nice meeting you, J'onn."

"Likewise," J'onn returned, as she dove to the ground. Then Superman spoke up.

"I wish I could stay, but I have to get back to Metropolis."

"I will help them," J'onn offered.

"I know you will." Superman took off; within a few seconds, he was out of sight.

J'onn, meanwhile, returned his attention to Ground Zero, still contemplating Wonder Woman's words and accepting the truth they held. Tragic this event was indeed, but it _had _brought out the better part of humanity's nature. To J'onn, it was bizarre that two extremes of the human character – extreme brutality and selfless kindness – could be displayed on the same day – but humans had already proven themselves to be a complex species.

As he alighted on the ground to continue helping, J'onn allowed a small smile to touch his face, genuine despite the horrors he had witnessed this day.

Perhaps, after all, there was still hope.

* * *

_**A/N: Yes, there is. Always ;)**_


	11. Chapter Ten: Plans In The Wind

_**A/N: Thanks to **Jess Marilyn, leathman, Dextra2, **and **doglover500**, all of whom had some nice things to say about my version of 9/11 =)**  
_

_Timeline: September 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Plans in the Wind**

In the days after 9/11, there were a great many things happening in the United States, both superhero-related and non-superhero-related. Not long after the disaster, word came from Washington, D.C. that there had been an attack on the Pentagon at around the same time the World Trade Center was hit. The strike on Pentagon was less infamous than the incident in New York, but it was still an attack by the same party, and it still killed nearly two hundred people. Reacting to the attacks, President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security and put the nation on high alert. Aggressive military investigations were begun to look into who had ordered the strikes and why. The city of New York worked around the clock to clean up Ground Zero, while its general population passed by the site of the tragedy everyday with sorrow in their eyes.

In Star City, Mayor Oliver Queen fearlessly condemned the attack and stirred up the already seething crowds into all new levels of righteous fury with his fiery words.

"The new world order is dawning, people!" he declared firmly to a listening throng. "We suffered a great loss, but we have to suck it up and stand tall. We have to show those bastards that you don't get to mess with America."

Things were stirring on the superhero front, too. Both Hawkgirl and a more obscure hero known as Zatanna had been on their way to New York to help on September 11 when they encountered the scene at the Pentagon. They had stayed behind to help there instead, and were aided by a young, green-skinned boy no one had been able to locate again. Witnesses in Arlington County on the day of the attack claimed him to be a shapeshifter, though.

Throughout the country, superheroes were meeting with other superheroes – their friends, their allies – discussing the sudden attacks and wondering if they had their root in supervillainy.

One such meeting occurred between Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Two nights after 9/11, the three of them gathered in a small thicket of trees just outside Gotham City. Batman, the only one of them who hadn't been in New York on the day of the attack, inquired seriously, "How bad was it?"

Superman sighed. "It was bad. Really bad. They still don't know for sure how many people were killed, but FDNY's putting the number at around two and a half thousand."

"The hijackers?"

"Knew what they were getting into. It was a suicide mission from the start."

"Why would anyone wish to throw away their life like that?" Wonder Woman asked, speaking for the first time. Batman turned his gaze on her, observing her from behind his cowl.

Since unexpectedly meeting her several months prior, the Batman had done his research on the Amazon princess. Within two weeks he had, in his mind, declared Wonder Woman trustworthy and had subconsciously started to include her in his mental list of close friends and/or allies. For someone as solitary as himself, it was a surprisingly long list. And no one – _no one _– save Alfred, had ever made it onto the list as fast as Wonder Woman. Perhaps it was the fact that she was a well-recognized hero during her time with the Justice Society in the 60s; perhaps it was just because she gave off certain vibes that made his instincts, which never failed, trust her. Either way, she was on the list – along with Superman, Flash, Zatanna, the entirety of the small Bat-clan, and a few others.

"Welcome to the modern age, Princess," Batman answered in response to her question. "The terrorists of today are a bit more devoted to their causes than they ever were before."

"Are they so devoted that they would give up their lives at a moment's thought if so commanded by their leader?" Wonder Woman questioned.

"Wouldn't you do the same for your queen?"

"My mother would never –"

"But if she _did_, would you?" he challenged.

Wonder Woman's eyes narrowed. "All right, so I would. Your point?"

"I'm merely stating the fact that such commitment is not uncommon. What people _direct _that commitment to – now that is a different matter."

Wonder Woman chose not to pursue the topic; she was already finding Batman to be a strange specimen, despite her past experiences in Man's World – if she continued, she ran the risk of her perceptions being shaken by this enigmatic man. Instead, she said, "Well, anyway, do we know who is responsible for the attacks?"

"Not yet," Superman replied. As Clark Kent, his reporter's position in one of the most respected newspapers in the country made him the perfect person to source such information about current events. "The government is still trying to figure out how the terrorists knew exactly which points of the towers to hit to have the most impact."

"A leak?" Batman surmised.

"It's possible," Superman admitted, "but I'm actually wondering if the attacks were even originated by terrorists. I know Wonder Woman said this wasn't the work of that threat she warned us about – but that doesn't mean some other supervillain couldn't have done it."

Batman nodded, deep in thought. "It's a definite possibility. A great number of supervillains have the ability and the resources to do something like that, and mind control could explain the hijackers' role in it – but we're missing motive. What reason would any villain have to destroy the World Trade Center?"

"Maybe it wasn't the location so much as the people," Superman suggested. "Thousands of people from all over the world worked in the Towers. An attack on the World Trade Center could be a representative of an attack on the entire world."

"Perhaps." Batman's tone was politely noncommittal. Wonder Woman noticed.

"You don't think it's a villain, do you?" she queried shrewdly.

"On the contrary, I _know_ it's a villain – I'm just not convinced he or she is of the super kind."

"You're saying we believe it was the work of terrorists?" Superman asked.

"I'm saying it's a very human-like attack on other humans, and we shouldn't jump to conclusions. In all likelihood, 9/11 was caused by a terrorist cell from the Middle East and the government investigations will deal with it. But _we _have more pressing problems – like a missing collection of supervillains from all over the country and, if Princess here is right, a new, all-powerful criminal entity that will show up and threaten the entire galaxy sometime in the near future."

Wonder Woman frowned. "Missing supervillains?" she questioned.

Batman nodded. "Over the past fifteen months, high-profile villains from various locations have been escaping their prison cells. The typical pattern is for them to cause a certain amount of trouble before they either get caught or disappear. So far, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Giganta, Parasite, Rampage, Live Wire, Solomon Grundy, and Mantis have all been recaptured, but many more are still unaccounted for – and those are the dangerous ones."

"How many are we talking about?" Superman inquired.

"At my last count, seventeen."

* * *

It was dark in the warehouse, abandoned as it was. The walls were dingy and blackened with soot from a fire that had occurred several years ago. The air was musty and stale, and the dust carpet on virtually every surface was so thick it was a wonder the slightest movements didn't produce a dust storm.

However, one of the warehouse's larger rooms was slightly cleaner than the rest of the run-down building. Sometime not long ago, the dust had all been swept out and a large table, as well as numerous chairs, had been moved in. The whole room was dimly lit by the flickering yellow light of a dying lamp.

It was in this room that seventeen of the world's most dangerous supervillains were gathered for a meeting, the likes of which had never been seen before. Seated around the long, rectangular table were Joker, Killer Frost, Silver Banshee, Copperhead, Cheetah, Shade, Bizarro, Deadshot, Doctor Polaris, the Key, Metallo, Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang, Volcana, Weather Wizard, Tala, and Atomic Skull. In addition to these, near the head of the table, sat a bulky, solidly built individual in a green-trimmed costume. He seemed to have a perpetual scowl on his face, despite his exalted position at the right hand of the final person, who sat at the very head of the table.

This person was even bigger than the one who sat on his right. At approximately nine feet tall, he cut an imposing figure and easily towered over everyone else in the room. His entire body appeared to be shaped out of some sort of living gray stone, as evidenced by the craggy lines on his face. However, by far the most chilling feature of his entire appearance was his eyes; they glowed an almost inhuman blood red and glittered with malice and cruelty, speaking of a heartless brutality lurking just beneath the surface.

"Well, Darkseid?" Cheetah demanded, her British accent made more pronounced by her impatience as she rapped her neatly trimmed claws on the table's wooden surface. "Are you finally going to tell us why you've called us together?"

"Yeah," Copperhead put in. "You busted us all out – what, a year ago?"

"One year," Metallo agreed. "Give or take a few months, depending on who you're talking about. Bizarro over there wasn't broken out till July this year." He nodded at the reverse Superman sitting opposite him.

"Okay, fine – but Cheetah and me were busted way back in August last year; Joker and Harley before that, Banshee and Frost a little after."

"And yet," Darkseid said coldly, "I had not finished helping you all escape until, as Metallo so aptly pointed out, the seventh month of this year."

Copperhead shrugged, seemingly unaffected by his new boss' chilling voice. "Yeah, I get it, you were recruiting. The question is…"

"What for?" Cheetah finished. She and Copperhead had formed a friendship while serving time in the same prison, and that had not changed after they escaped.

"So impatient." Joker shook his head, making _tsking _sounds. "Don't you clowns know that you've got to wait for the punch line _before _you get the joke?" He grinned inanely around the table, provoking several disgusted groans from a few of the other villains.

"Patience!" the ever-scowling person at the right of Darkseid roared. "Father will tell us his plan in due time – won't you, Father?" He turned towards Darkseid, who inclined his head disdainfully.

"Certainly, Kalibak," he agreed, casting his red eyes around the table once more. "But you are also right, of course," he addressed the dissenters – Copperhead and Cheetah. "The time has come to put my plan into action, as befits a warlord of my status.

"As you know, I hail from a planet called Apokolips, far away from here. There I was the ruler, until the whinging whelps from New Genesis attacked us for breaking the pact we had made centuries ago. We retaliated, of course – but that interfering Highfather managed to defeat us. He imprisoned Kalibak and me in a fortified prison on an asteroid. Some time ago, that same asteroid was broken out of orbit and we crashed here, on this pitiful planet."

"Now hold on a minute," Mirror Master interrupted. "I admit Earth isn't the most perfect world in the universe, but it still –"

"Silence, human fool," Darkseid commanded. "You do not have the right to speak to a god like that."

Muttering, Mirror Master lapsed into silence. Atomic Skull then spoke up.

"So the asteroid that landed in Mongolia on New Year's Eve two years ago – that was your prison."

"Indeed," Darkseid replied. "Kalibak and I immediately made our escape – we were gone long before those buffoons from the government arrived to transport the asteroid back to their lab for observation. We hid ourselves and learned more about your planet."

"Your research was successful, I take it?" Of all the villains present, the immortal Shade was probably the only one who could quite possibly stand up against Darkseid and survive. Even Darkseid's Omega Beams could not penetrate the darkness Shade could manipulate. For this reason, Shade was confident enough to speak to Darkseid as though he were an equal.

"Very." Darkseid smiled maliciously. "Earth is indeed a pathetic planet, but it is for that very reason that I will be able to use it. I will conquer this world and enslave its population. Then I will begin construction of boom tubes and bring others here. I will make Earth the new Apokolips."

Dead silence followed his announcement. With the exception of Bizarro and Metallo – and possibly the Key – all the supervillains Darkseid had gathered were humans – or had been once – and felt some sort of affection for their mother planet.

"Let me get this straight," said Deadshot, "You broke us all out of prison and grouped us together…to help you conquer Earth?"

"Yes. While Earth itself is a shamefully weak planet, the so-called superheroes who protect it are powerful enough to stop me, if they so wished. As such, I need allies. I selected you because you have been fighting these same heroes for quite some time now, and you know how they work. I've heard you're the best – and I want only the best. It is the reason I never bothered to aid those who were recaptured – if they were stupid enough to get caught again, they are not worthy of my time or alliance."

"For you to want us to help you do something like this, you'd have to offer us an appropriate reward," Doctor Polaris noted.

"Would it be 'appropriate' enough that I make you governors of the new world I will create?"

Another pause filled the room, but Darkseid noted with satisfaction that more than one villain's facial expressions lifted.

"Power, money, prestige…" Volcana mused, a smirk pulling her lips. "I like the sound of that."

"You've got yourself a deal," Weather Wizard agreed.

"I suppose it's a worthy cause." Silver Banshee smiled smugly.

One by one, the others added their agreement. Darkseid allowed himself another smile.

"Excellent," he said approvingly. "Now, the best strategy in any war is to eliminate your enemies before they are aware of your plans. So the first order of business is to exterminate the one and only threat to the future Apokolips: the superheroes of Planet Earth.

"All of you have faced at least one – if not more – superhero in your career, and all of you have been defeated, time and time again. But with my superior intellect, we cannot lose – especially if we act now. So here is my plan…"


	12. Chapter Eleven: Conversations

_**A/N: Thanks to **Dextra2, Jess Marilyn, **and **Jazbez **for reviewing****! I enjoy hearing your thoughts!**  
_

_**Today we move on from 9/11 to the rest of the story.  
**_

_Timeline: September 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Conversations**

Dick swore as his unmanageable pile of textbooks tumbled out of his arms and landed on the floor with loud thumps. He mentally cringed, automatically recalling what Alfred used to say every time he dropped his schoolbooks as an errant boy in Wayne Manor.

_"Master Dick, what would you say if I dropped _you_ like that because I didn't bother to hold you properly? Pick up those books right now, and make sure I don't see you tossing them about so carelessly again."_

Half-expecting the all-knowing butler to appear around the corner any minute, Dick hastily bent down to retrieve his books. He had twenty minutes until his next class – not enough time to do anything substantial, but more than long enough to make him feel bored. He set his books down on the shelf beside his apartment door and decided to head for the kitchen – maybe he had something to snack on somewhere in the pantry.

_Good grief, I'm turning into Wally_, he thought wryly to himself as he moved through the hallways. Even before he got his powers, the light-hearted speedster had always been a bottomless pit – it seemed that he was eating something every spare minute he had.

As he passed the doorway to the small living room, he noticed Koriand'r sitting on the couch and staring endlessly into the air. Dick frowned; she had been doing that a lot since 9/11. During the crisis itself she had been remarkably calm and composed, helping out everywhere to the best of her ability – but once they returned to Jump City she had fallen into a subdued silence. She'd barely said a word in the five days since the attack.

Changing direction mid-walk, Dick veered to the living room couch instead of the kitchen.

"Kory?" he asked gently, sitting beside her on the couch. The alien girl lifted her head, her green eyes looking at his face.

"Oh, hello, Dick," she greeted, a small smile gracing her lovely face for a second before it was gone again. "Have you finished your classes for the day, then?"

"Are you okay?" he inquired, skillfully ignoring her question. "You've been acting a bit strange since 9/11."

Kory frowned. "9/11?" she repeated. "What's that?"

"The attack on the World Trade Center," Dick explained. Kory's face fell.

"Oh." She schooled her face into another smile – but Dick could tell this one was fake. "I'm fine, Dick."

"No, you're not," he countered. "Come on, what is it? You can tell me."

Kory sighed, her eyes drooping. "It was just…so much like Tamaran…"

"Your home planet?" Kory hadn't been kidding, that night they met, when she said she didn't want to talk about Tamaran. She hadn't said anything more about it in all the time she'd been living with Dick – the most he'd been able to pick up were a few hints about Tamaranean culture. Now Dick's mind was whirring away at ten miles a minute, trying to think of why the 9/11 attacks would remind Kory of home. None of the reasons were good.

"Yes." Kory nodded. "During my last days there, much of my world was torn apart by war and everyday there were attacks very like the one in New York. This…9/11…has brought back some…unpleasant memories – that's all. I suppose I really should stop moping now." She smiled wryly.

Dick unconsciously returned the smile with one of his own – but his thoughts had now taken a far more…intimate approach as he gazed into Kory's warm green orbs.

In the weeks since Kory had been living with him, they had both learned to coexist peacefully, even happily, becoming good friends. Dick now counted her as one of his best friends, along with Barbara and Wally. However, being a healthy, warm-blooded young male, he'd have to be blind not to notice how beautiful his houseguest was. Like right now, with her soft red curls falling over her shoulders, framing her perfectly oval face and accentuating the warm golden tone of her skin…

"Dick? Did you hear me?"

Dick snapped back to himself. "What?"

"I said, you're getting awfully near," Kory said. She suddenly grinned impishly, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Did you want to kiss me again?"

Dick stared at her, feeling embarrassing, unwelcome red creep up his neck. "No," he denied forcefully.

Kory actually giggled. "It's perfectly all right, you know," she said, almost invitingly. "We do it all the time on Tamaran."

"…" Dick couldn't think of anything to say. This was a first. Growing up under the influence of not only Batman, but Bruce Wayne – a notorious playboy – and being blessed with extraordinary good looks himself, Dick was rarely at a loss for words around girls. Indeed, he'd gotten a bit carried away during his early puberty years, flirting with almost every girl in Gotham High before Barbara casually and ruthlessly deflated his ego balloon. Even then, he'd always been able to form several smart compliments whenever he was interested in a girl. To be speechless _now_, of all times…

"Dick," Kory was saying, "You needn't be so worried. We're adults. We're friends. We like each other – maybe more than we think we do. Why not do it and see where we go? Emotions are always best expressed – in fact, from what I've seen, I believe most of Earth is rather emotionally stunted, if you'll forgive me for saying so…all the restraints you put on yourselves just so you don't have to exhibit what you truly _feel_…"

_What the hell, _thought Dick. He stopped Kory mid-sentence, covering her lips with his mouth and effectively cutting off the rest of her words.

* * *

Batman stole out of the shadows of Gotham City to find the slender young woman fiddling with her wand as she waited for him.

"It's about time," she said.

"There was trouble in the financial district," was Batman's succinct reply.

"When is there not?" The woman tipped her top hat at him.

Batman silently agreed with her before saying, "It's good to see you again, Zatanna."

"Likewise, Bruce," Zatanna concurred. "How long has it been?"

"Three years."

"That long?" Zatanna sounded mildly surprised. "You mean it's been three years since we…" She trailed off, recalling an upsetting memory Batman had clear knowledge of.

"We didn't give up, Zee," he assured her. "If anything new comes to light, we'll pick up the search again. We _will _find your father."

"Keep the dream alive, right?" Zatanna smiled ruefully. Batman decided to change the subject.

"You were in Arlington on September 11?" he asked, steering the conversation back to the reason for their meeting. Zatanna nodded.

"Yeah, and you should have seen the carnage. Nothing compared to New York, of course – but an entire side of the Pentagon broke away, and almost two hundred people died. Probably would have been more if Hawkgirl and I hadn't showed up to help. We were heading for New York initially, but from what I hear there were quite a few heroes there as well."

"There was someone else with you that day, wasn't there?" Batman inquired. Zatanna nodded.

"Yep. Saved my life, too. One minute I was casting spells, and the next I was knocked to the ground by a green cheetah, with a Pentagon side falling right where I'd been standing." Zatanna shook her head.

"Who was he?"

"He called himself Beast Boy. He's just a kid – but he saved at least half a dozen lives single-handedly. Kid's got a good grip on his powers, for all he's so young."

Batman nodded to himself. "I've noticed an increase in the appearances of heroes like him over the past couple of years."

"Really?" Zatanna asked interestedly.

"Yes. The metahuman population has increased – many of them are teenagers."

"In the hero or villain department?"

"Both." Batman looked at her. "According to Wonder Woman, there's a powerful evil lurking somewhere in the world."

"Great," Zatanna commented dryly. "What is it?"

"We don't know yet. But whatever it is, it's stirring. It'll probably make an appearance sometime soon, so keep your eyes open. If you hear anything about it, let me know. Wonder Woman says we'll need a team of supers to defeat this villain, and I'm inclined to agree with her."

"Huh," Zatanna remarked. "And you've known Wonder Woman how long, exactly?"

Batman gave her a piercing stare.

Zatanna held up her hands. "I'm just saying – I don't think even I earned your trust as fast as she did."

"You don't have to trust someone to agree with them," Batman pointed out.

"True," Zatanna concurred, "but I get the feeling that you _do _trust Wonder Woman." She raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"Zatanna…" Batman warned.

"Okay, okay." She smiled a last sly grin before turning serious again. "I'll keep my eyes open."

"Good." Batman took out a grappling hook from his utility belt. "And if you meet any other heroes, pass the word."

"Will do," Zatanna agreed, as Batman shot the hook at the roof of a nearby building and disappeared. Zatanna waved her wand over herself. _"Tropelet." _

A second and a shower of magical sparks later, she was gone.

* * *

"Ms. Waller." Dr. Hector Hammond hurried to catch up with the brisk pace the head of Cadmus was setting. "Ms. Waller, a moment, please."

"What is it, Dr. Hammond?" Waller questioned. She was not in a very good mood. The events of 9/11 had revealed that there were superheroes Cadmus had no knowledge of – people like the alien girl in Jump City and the green teenager who'd popped up in Arlington. For the past two weeks, everyone in Cadmus had been pulling overtime, scrambling to scrounge what information they could on the unknowns, as well as devoting more energy and resources to investigating the people on Cadmus' list of suspected superheroes. The fact that the metahuman population appeared to be growing did nothing to assuage Waller's grumpiness.

"I believe I have located the Martian we lost earlier this year," announced Dr. Hammond, effectively grabbing Waller's attention.

"Go on."

"I'm not 100% certain, but I believe him to be the green humanoid who surfaced in New York on 9/11. He's been aiding rescue and cleanup efforts consistently."

Waller raised an eyebrow. "I should have guessed it was him."

Hammond nodded. "We're still investigating, of course, but I have reasonable cause to think so too. Would you like me to organize a retrieval mission?"

"No. Carry on with the investigation, find his human identity if you can – I don't doubt he has one – but leave it at that. Take no other action except on my say-so." If it really was the Martian, he had apparently joined the ranks of the superhero community, and as long as he stayed there, Waller had no quarrel with him.

"Yes, ma'am," Hammond acquiesced as Waller left him in the hallway.

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sure you've noticed that I'm slipping in liberal hints of subplots here and there - Zatanna's father, the inner workings of Cadmus, and other such details which I've adopted and altered from the canon DCU and DCAU. Some of these plotlines will be fleshed out more thoroughly in future Diamond Earth stories.**_


	13. Chapter Twelve: Something Amiss

_**A/N: We're getting deeper and deeper into the heart of the story now XD**  
_

_**Thanks to **leathman, Jazbez, Jess Marylin, **and **doglover500 **for r****eviewing!**  
_

_Timeline: September 2001 to October 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Something Amiss**

Batman did not hear of the attack until two evenings after it occurred. Seeing the Bat-signal lighting up the sky one night, he made his way to the rooftop where Commissioner James Gordon was waiting with a blond, middle-aged man. Curious, Batman held his silence, waiting for Gordon to explain.

"Batman, this is Barry Allen from Central City," Gordon introduced. "He's come to Gotham to ask your help in an urgent matter."

"Which is?"

Gordon glanced at Barry, who picked up his cue. "Flash is missing."

Batman's eyebrow rose. "What makes you say that?" As he spoke he observed Barry very carefully for any tells.

"Well, uh – Flash hasn't been seen by anyone for almost two days now," Barry replied.

"And you know this how?"

Barry looked distinctly uncomfortable. "I'm a close friend of his," he confessed. "I know who he is, and he hasn't been around for the past couple of days."

"Hm," Batman mused. He glanced meaningfully at Gordon, who took the hint.

"I'll leave you to it, then. I'm needed back at the precinct." Without another word, Gordon left, taking the stairs from the rooftop.

Batman wasted no time. "What do you mean Flash hasn't been around?"

"As a hero, he hasn't shown up anywhere in Central or Keystone for the past two days, nor has he run his regular patrol. As a person, he hasn't been home for the same amount of time."

"And you suspect foul play?"

Barry shrugged. "I can't think of any other explanation for his disappearance."

Batman considered that. "Not many people would have the ability to abduct Flash so well."

"Right," Barry agreed. "Which is why I've narrowed down the suspect list to three people: Mirror Master, Weather Wizard, and Captain Boomerang."

"Who are they?"

"They're part of Flash's Rogue Gallery – they're the only ones who have the ability to kidnap Flash, and the only ones who'd know him well enough to know how to keep him restrained for a long period of time. Also, the last time anyone saw Flash, he was fighting Captain Boomerang."

"Tell me about them."

Barry quickly filled him in on the powers, personalities, and histories of the aforementioned three villains.

"You're remarkably well-informed about all of them," Batman noted.

Barry shrugged noncommittally. "Flash talks to me a lot." He grew serious. "Will you be able to find him?"

"I'll do my best."

* * *

A car crashed into the road, creating a deep pothole. Silver Banshee screeched again, causing glass to shatter from the windows of the many office buildings along the street. Superman picked up another car and flung it at the villainess, who again dodged. This volley landed a mere two yards away from Lois, who was covering the battle. Lois, being the consummate professional she was, didn't even flinch – but Jimmy, who was with her, jumped.

"Lois, maybe we shouldn't be so close…" he said nervously.

"Just shut up and take the pictures, Jimmy."

Meanwhile, Superman had tackled Silver Banshee to the ground and was now engaged in a ferocious tussle with her. Within a matter of seconds, he had pinned her down.

"Give it up, Banshee."

In response, she laughed shrilly. "You think you've won? Look behind you, Superman."

"Behind? Why? What's behind him?" Jimmy wondered.

Lois, though, had already seen the figure creeping up behind the Last Son of Krypton. "Superman, look out!"

Superman turned around just in time to see Metallo opening his chest to reveal his Kryptonite heart. The effect was immediate. Superman stumbled back, struggling to stay upright against the weakening beams of the green stone. At his six, Banshee got to her feet, opened her mouth, and let loose a scream that tossed the Man of Steel straight at Metallo's Kryptonite. With a groan, Superman slumped to the ground, utterly drained.

"Dammit, Clark!" Lois swore under her breath.

"Where?"

"What?" she snapped.

"Where's Clark?" Jimmy asked.

"Nowhere. Pictures, Jimmy!" Lois took off, running to the side.

"Where are you going?" Jimmy yelled. He got no answer.

Metallo grinned, his metal lips twisting in an evil smirk as he withdrew a dagger tipped with Kryptonite. However, before he could plunge it into Superman's chest – thus ending his life – a mace crashed into his back. With a yell, Metallo toppled to the ground.

Screeching her fury at Hawkgirl, Silver Banshee rose into the air to battle the unexpected reinforcement. Hawkgirl dodged and recalled her mace, but Banshee blasted her into a wall. Another deafening scream had the Thanagarian clapping her hands to her ears in pain. But just then, Banshee was blown out of the air by a freezing gust of wind. Hawkgirl wasted no time in finishing the battle by knocking her out cold with her mace. Then she looked up to see Superman wobbling in the air, still recovering from the effects of the Kryptonite.

"Thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," Superman returned. "Hawkgirl, right?"

"Right," she affirmed, as they restrained Metallo and Silver Banshee for the police. "Nice to finally meet you, Superman."

"Likewise."

Hawkgirl inclined her head in acknowledgment of the greeting, then fixed her gaze on something beyond Superman's shoulder. "Is that Batman I see?"

Superman turned around and saw the Dark Knight emerging from behind a building.

Observing the wreckage in front of him, Batman said simply, "We need to talk."

Superman nodded his agreement and made to follow, but Batman's next words caught him by surprise.

"You too, Hawkgirl."

* * *

"What's this about, Batman?" Superman asked once they retreated to an alleyway to hold their discussion.

"Something is very wrong," Batman said, looking graver than usual. "Someone from Central City came to Gotham asking for my help."

Superman frowned. "With what?"

"Finding Flash."

"Flash is missing?" Hawkgirl's voice rose a few tones in pitch.

Batman nodded. "Has been for two weeks. I'm still looking for clues to his whereabouts, but I haven't got any leads yet. And that's not all. Other heroes from all over the place have been attacked too."

"Doesn't that come with the territory of _being _a hero?" Hawkgirl pointed out.

"Not like this," Batman disagreed. "Remember the villains who were all missing? They've been resurfacing in teams of twos and threes to tackle one hero at a time. Flash was abducted by Mirror Master, Captain Boomerang, and Weather Wizard. Nightwing was attacked by Copperhead and Cheetah, Starfire by Doctor Polaris and Tala. Bizarro and the Key tried to take down Green Lantern in Coast City last week, and Wonder Woman was cornered by Killer Frost, Shade, and Atomic Skull."

"They're hitting us all one by one," Superman realized.

"No one got to you?" Hawkgirl questioned of Batman, who smiled humorlessly.

"They tried. Joker and Deadshot caught up to me yesterday, but they forgot to account for Batgirl."

"This can't be random, either," added Superman. "Not if the villains are attacking heroes they normally don't hit. Bizarro, especially, hardly goes for anyone besides me."

Batman nodded in agreement. "They're hitting hard, too. Nightwing broke his arm fighting off Copperhead and Cheetah, and Doctor Fate actually had to step in before Wonder Woman got killed. Green Lantern managed to hold his own, but he's been inactive since the attack. And Black Canary disappeared yesterday."

"Do you think this has anything to do with what Wonder Woman was talking about?" Superman asked.

"I'm certain of it."

Superman nodded. "I think it's time we banded together. They're clearly hitting us one by one – if we team up, we might be able to figure out what's going on before it gets any worse."

"And we need to find Flash and Black Canary," Hawkgirl put in.

"Contact everyone you can find," Batman instructed. "We'll meet in Gotham in a week's time. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Meeting Of The Minds

_**A/N: A thousand apologies for the late update - I didn't anticipate how many things I had to do today. My thanks to **Jess Marylin, Jazbez, leathman, **and **Dextra2 **for their reviews.**  
_

_Timeline: October 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Meeting of the Minds**

Green Arrow skulked through the dark alleys of Gotham City before making it to the meeting place – a warehouse WayneTech used for storing backup prototypes. Knowing Batman as he did, Arrow had to smile at the irony. Way back when he'd first met him, the Dark Knight would never have allowed anyone to interfere in Gotham, let alone get this close to his alter ego.

"Sorry I'm late," Green Arrow apologized as he let himself in. "I ran into some dumb thugs on the way."

"What did you do to them?" Batman asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Green Arrow said innocently, taking his seat at the table. He looked around, taking note of the group of heroes who had gathered. Most of them he knew, but there were a few unfamiliar faces – those who had begun activities only in the past two years or so – Arrow had not kept very up to date with things in the hero community after he'd taken Star City's mayoral office.

Whether by accident or by design, Superman, Batman (who tended to be who civilians thought of first whenever the term 'superhero' was mentioned), and Wonder Woman (who was the most recognizable of the old Justice Society) were sitting together at the head of the table. Close by were Batgirl, the Martian, and Doctor Fate. Nightwing (who had his arm wrapped in a cast) was sitting with the red-headed alien (Starfire, if Arrow recalled correctly); Zatanna was next to Hawkgirl. At the other end of the table sat Black Lightning and Katana, two more seasoned, yet lesser known, heroes. Near them was Green Lantern, who had obviously made an effort to be present for this meeting despite the number Bizarro and the Key had done on him when they attacked. Green Arrow knew how to recognize the signs of someone pretending they weren't recovering from fairly serious injuries – he'd done it often enough himself – and he could tell the Lantern wasn't running at one hundred percent.

"All right, let's begin," said Superman. "We've called this meeting because of a series of disturbing incidents related to villainous activities. As you know, several high-profile villains have escaped from prison and have remained at large. In the past two weeks, those same villains have resurfaced, attacking us one by one. We still have two of our number unaccounted for: the Flash and Black Canary."

"Three," Green Arrow corrected.

"What?" Black Lightning asked with a frown.

"We have three heroes missing," Arrow repeated. "Speedy vanished this morning."

"They are trying to take us all out of action," surmised J'onn. The citizens of New York had taken to calling their resident superhero 'Martian Manhunter' (because of his success in locating the few survivors of 9/11), but he still preferred his given name. "But why?"

"This is all in preparation for the arrival of some great evil," Wonder Woman explained. "It first appeared at the beginning of last year, and it has been steadily gaining power since."

"How do you know this?" Katana questioned.

"She's an Amazon," Batman replied. "They have an Oracle who is able to predict the future with a certain degree of accuracy."

"And I have felt it for myself," Wonder Woman added. "On the very stroke of the new millennium, this evil entered the world."

"That's not good," said Zatanna. "That's a very auspicious date. The mystical and magical forces of the universe are at their strongest on auspicious dates."

"What is this 'great evil'?" Green Arrow inquired.

"It is a villain unlike any you have ever faced before," Doctor Fate answered. "It is strong, and extremely powerful, and we don't yet know what it is. But if it is not stopped, Earth will be destroyed."

"So why even bother taking us out?" Nightwing asked. "If it's that powerful, we wouldn't even be significant."

"But maybe we are," Green Lantern spoke up. All eyes turned to him. The green-clad hero winced visibly as he shifted his arm, but he continued, "One thing I've learned in my career is that every person, no matter how seemingly insignificant, counts for something. Everyone could be the one person who single-handedly turns the tide of a battle."

"This is true," Starfire agreed, her tone carrying an inexplicable sorrow behind her words. "I have witnessed this very thing firsthand."

"And with all of us together, we do make a pretty formidable bunch," Batgirl pointed out. "Any villain who wants to destroy Earth has to go through us first."

"That's why he – or she – is thinning our ranks before the big attack," Hawkgirl realized. "If this new villain is going through all this trouble to weaken us, it must mean that we present a credible threat to their plans."

"Which means that if we stand together, we have a fighting chance," Green Lantern summarized.

"We'll need to be as strong as possible," said Wonder Woman. "The attack will come soon – within a few months, at the most. We have to rescue those who are missing in order to have the best chance possible."

Green Arrow nodded his agreement as he leaned forward; this was what he had come here for. He wanted his wife and ward back.

"I think I know where Flash is," Batman said unexpectedly.

"You do?" Hawkgirl sat up straight. "Where?"

"Mirror Master was involved in his abduction, which makes me think Flash is being held in a mirror dimension."

"There are hundreds of those," Zatanna pointed out. "How are we going to find out which one he's in?"

"It is a simple matter for me to search through pocket dimensions," Doctor Fate said. "But I'll need access to a mirror used by Mirror Master."

Batgirl tossed a shard of a broken mirror onto the table. "Will that do? We took it off Mirror Master a few days ago."

"You actually managed to track him down?" Superman inquired in some surprise.

Batgirl gestured at Batman. "World's Greatest Detective, remember?"

"So where's Mirror Master now?" Nightwing asked.

"He's safely locked up in Iron Heights." Batman traded a knowing glance with Batgirl. "He won't be bothering us for a while."

Wonder Woman was about to ask what exactly the Dark Knight had done to the villain, when she decided it was a subject better left alone. Across the table, Doctor Fate picked up the mirror shard and made it glow purple.

"This will take a few minutes," he said, before settling into a meditative trance.

* * *

A lone figure lurked unseen through the long shadows of the city streets. He was supremely unconcerned about the dangers he exposed himself to as he made his way to a destination known only to himself. Upon discovering that he had indeed been right about the location, he ventured back to a lonely back street half-shrouded in total darkness.

Stealthily, he cooed softly to identify his presence. A moment later, a feminine form stepped out from behind a Dumpster.

"Did you find it?" she asked.

"Yep," he replied. "It's about two miles away. Are you okay to walk that far?"

His companion scoffed. "Please. I'm injured, not incapacitated."

"Well, let's go, then."

* * *

"Should we do something?" J'onn asked uncertainly. It had been ten minutes, and Doctor Fate still showed no sign of coming out of his trance.

"No," Wonder Woman said immediately, though her lovely brow was furrowed slightly. "Fate knows what he's doing. Interfering would cause more harm than good."

Green Arrow drummed his fingers somewhat anxiously on the table; he did not like waiting.

Just then there was a sudden noise from the entrance of the warehouse. As one, all the heroes – with the exception of Doctor Fate – sprang to their feet, instantly on alert.

"Are we expecting anyone else?" Superman asked in a low voice.

Batman's eyes had narrowed under his cowl. "No."

Subconsciously, the thirteen heroes spread out defensively, covering their bases as they prepared to face an unknown foe.

"Simmer down, people," a confident male voice spoke up. "I was under the impression you _wanted _to find us."

"Speedy!" Green Arrow exclaimed, recognizing the voice of his ward immediately.

"The one and only." Speedy came forward into the light.

"Where have you been? I thought some villain had got to you."

"I was busy tracking down your…other partner." At this, Black Canary came into view next to Speedy. Green Arrow blinked, surprised and relieved, and had to remind himself not to greet his wife overly affectionately.

"Canary," he greeted. "I'm glad you're all right."

Black Canary's face softened ever so slightly, letting him know that she knew what he wasn't saying.

"How did you find her?" Nightwing asked Speedy.

"I got wind of a clue to her location last night. When I followed it up, I found Doctor Polaris and Captain Boomerang at the other end."

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. "And?" he questioned.

Speedy smirked. "Well, let's just say they're both…indisposed until further notice."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you two are okay…" Green Lantern hobbled back to his chair and sat down heavily, subtly favoring his right side. "But next time, mind giving us a little warning _before _you surprise us?"

Black Canary winced sympathetically. "That bad, huh?"

"You have no idea."

"Well, it looks like we're all here," said Doctor Fate unexpectedly. Everyone turned to see him pulling Flash out of the mirror shard.

"Flash!" Hawkgirl exclaimed, flying over to help her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I'm starving," the bedraggled speedster mumbled, slumping against the table.

"Here." Batman tossed him a couple packets of emergency rations from his utility belt. "You're lucky time in mirror dimensions passes differently than in the real world – otherwise you'd have starved to death by now."

Flash cringed as he tore the edge off a packet and hungrily began to wolf down its contents. "You don't say."

"Now that we're all here," interjected Superman, "we need to decide our next move."

"Agreed," Black Lightning concurred. "Something big is going to happen soon, and we need to be ready to face whatever threats are thrown at us."

"The problem is we haven't the slightest clue _what_ threats we will face," Katana pointed out. "We lack information."

"Then maybe it's time we get some," said Batman.


	15. Chapter Fourteen: To Be Or Not To Be

_**A/N: Hi again, everyone :) Thanks to **Jazbez, Dextra2, doglover500, leathman, **and **Jess Marylin **for reviewing on the last chapter!**  
_

_Timeline: October 2001 to November 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: To Be or Not to Be**

"Haaaah!"

Hawkgirl's battle cry echoed across the street as she slammed Copperhead into a building. A few yards away, Wonder Woman blocked Cheetah's swiping claws with her bulletproof bracelets. Copperhead slid to the ground and leaped out of the way of Hawkgirl's next strike, but Hawkgirl chased after him with all the ferocity her people were renowned for. It wasn't long before Copperhead was neutralized.

Cheetah, however, was a different matter. While Wonder Woman had the obvious advantage over her adversary in strength and endurance, Cheetah was faster and far more agile, and she proved this by avoiding every blow the Amazon was throwing at her. On the other hand, none of Cheetah's hits were connecting either, thanks to Wonder Woman's bracelets.

Finally, though, a well-timed distraction from Hawkgirl enabled Wonder Woman to land a solid punch to Cheetah's head, rendering the cat-woman essentially defenseless in a vulnerable ground position.

"Who are you working for?" Wonder Woman demanded, standing over her opponent.

Cheetah glowered up at her. "I'm not telling."

"I think you will," Hawkgirl disagreed, holding up her mace threateningly. Cheetah laughed derisively.

"That fancy spike-ball won't work on me like that, bird-girl. I have enough incentive to keep quiet, and I can easily escape it if I have to."

"Hard to escape if your head is bashed in," Hawkgirl said darkly.

"Enough." Holding a restraining hand towards Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman crouched down to look Cheetah in the eye. "Let me make this simple for you. We need information, and if you won't give it to us willingly, we have ways of getting the truth whether you like it or not."

Cheetah scoffed. "Do your worst."

"As you wish." Wonder Woman unhooked her lasso from her waist and looped a golden coil around the villainess. "Who do you work for?"

Cheetah opened her mouth to make a sarcastic reply, but the rope glowed gold, and she found herself saying, "Darkseid."

Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl exchanged glances. "Who's Darkseid?" Hawkgirl questioned.

"He's a god from a planet called Apokolips in a distant star system. He's more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Again, the words that came out of her mouth were not what Cheetah intended to say.

"What is his plan?" Wonder Woman asked.

"He intends to take over the world and make it like Apokolips, and he will rule as the ultimate authority on Earth."

"So what did he want you for?" Hawkgirl inquired.

"We were supposed to get all the heroes out of the way, so Darkseid could carry out his plan."

Her face grim due to the information they had just gathered, Wonder Woman removed her lasso from Cheetah, who immediately looked horrified at the amount she had revealed.

"We've got all we need. Take her away." Hawkgirl nodded at the police officers who had arrived on scene. Copperhead was already cuffed and loaded onto a transport van; Cheetah followed, scowling fiercely all the while.

"Neat trick," Hawkgirl commented to Wonder Woman. "What's that lasso made of?"

"I'm not certain," Wonder Woman admitted. "It was made for me by Hephaestus, god of the smithy. It's been enchanted to make those wrapped in its coils tell the truth."

"Handy."

"Indeed. We know a good deal more about what we face now. Do you know this Darkseid?"

"Me? You've been around longer."

"The name is unfamiliar," Wonder Woman confessed.

"Maybe the others have heard of him?" Hawkgirl suggested.

"I doubt it, but we should update them."

* * *

"Who the heck is Darkseid?" Flash wondered. They were at yet another group meeting, this time in Central City. The only heroes missing were Green Arrow, Nightwing, Starfire, and Green Lantern, who had fallen prey to another attack, this time by Shade.

"Don't know," Hawkgirl replied. "Even the princess hasn't heard of him."

"Darkseid is not one of my gods," Wonder Woman said firmly. "And Themyscira is isolated from Man's World – even if he had appeared sometime in the last thirty years, I would not know of him."

"At least now we have an idea of who we're dealing with," said Superman.

"If Darkseid is indeed the evil we're expecting, he would have arrived on New Year's Day, 2000," said Doctor Fate. "And as we know, something else arrived on Earth that day."

"The meteorite in Mongolia." Batgirl nodded.

"What happened to it?" queried Zatanna.

"We're not sure," said Batman, exchanging a significant glance with Superman, who frowned.

"How's GL?" Flash inquired. He had found an immediate friend in the Lantern at the last meeting, and had been very concerned when he heard about the second attack.

"Recovering," Speedy said grimly. "He's gone back to Oa to finish his training."

"At least he'll be safe there for a while," Wonder Woman added.

"Why do they keep going after him?" Flash wanted to know. "He's been hit twice now."

"He's one of the most powerful of us, but he's still new," Black Lightning answered. "That makes him vulnerable."

"Something tells me he'll have to toughen up soon," Black Canary said.

"There's not much we can do now except to keep our eyes open," Superman said. "Be careful, all of you – Metallo, Silver Banshee, Copperhead, Cheetah, Doctor Polaris, Captain Boomerang, and Mirror Master are all back in prison, but that still leaves ten villains plus Darkseid at large – and they're clearly still trying to take us out."

After a round of general assent, the heroes all left, except for Superman, Batman, and J'onn.

"Why didn't you tell them about Cadmus?" Superman questioned.

"They don't need to know just yet."

"But –"

"The important thing is that _we_ know," Batman said firmly. "J'onn, do you think you could infiltrate S.T.A.R. Labs and find out more about that meteorite?"

J'onn nodded. "Yes."

"You sure you're okay going back there?" Superman inquired with concern. "I mean, after last time…"

"It will be fine," J'onn assured him. "It is in the past."

Batman nodded approvingly. "Good. You infiltrate the lab; I'll keep digging up what I can."

"What about me?" asked Superman.

"You're not exactly the stealthiest person around, Superman," Batman pointed out. "No offense."

"None taken."

"You just keep doing what you're doing – leave the espionage to me."

* * *

"I'm just saying…maybe you should take a break from politics for a bit," Roy Harper suggested in Mayor Oliver Queen's office. "With this new, world-threatening evil looming, it might be a good idea to let your deputy handle your mayoral duties for a while."

"Roy, you know how long I've been working for this," said Oliver. "This is my chance to improve things for people."

"There won't be anything to improve if there isn't an Earth left," Roy pointed out. "Dinah's keeping an eye on things for now, but she's still recovering, and I can't take off from college whenever I'd like. The city needs Green Arrow, Oliver."

"She's got him," said Oliver. "Green Arrow hasn't retired; he's just…less active."

"That's what I mean – maybe he should come back full-time. We need everyone for this."

Oliver sighed. "Look, Roy, I get what you're saying – really, I do. But I've been Green Arrow nearly ten years now, and I'd like to focus on the more mundane way of helping people. I'm making a bigger difference as Mayor than I ever did as Green Arrow. And I'm still a phone call away if the others ever really need me – Batman knows how to contact me."

"Yeah, but still…"

Oliver smiled tolerantly. "Roy, someday, when you get to my age, you'll understand. I never was a superhero like Superman or Flash – I was always more like a Batman vigilante – but even he fits more into that role than I do. This right here…" He rapped his knuckles on his polished office desk and pointed to the 'Mayor' sign in front. "…this is where I belong."

Roy exhaled. "Well, if you're sure…"

"Trust me, kid – I've never been surer of anything."

"Not even Dinah?" Roy asked slyly.

"That's different."

* * *

"But _why _can't I help?" Kara demanded petulantly. Clark sighed and ran his hands through his hair while Martha Kent looked on sympathetically. She'd had enough trouble with the headstrong teenager to know how her adopted son must be feeling right now.

"Look, Kara – I know you want to help…"

"I'm just as powerful as you are!" Kara exclaimed. "I know you're older and more experienced, but you can't tell me it's too dangerous when we have the same powers!"

"I know you're fully capable of protecting yourself, Kara – but this isn't about power. I don't want to get you involved…you're only sixteen, and –"

"Oh, so it's about my _age_, is it?" Kara said. "If you want to get technical, I'm older than you! You have no right –"

"Kara," Clark said firmly, startling his stubborn cousin into silence. "It's not that I don't want you to help – I'm only trying to protect you. The superhero community is a bit disorganized at the moment, and if you show up as…Supergirl…they're going to have questions – questions we don't want to deal with on top of everything else. Not to mention, there's a secret government organization that's extremely suspicious of any metabeing, and I don't want to put you on their radar."

"But I want to help," Kara protested – though she was less forceful now. "I feel useless sitting here and going to school in a wig when I know I can do something to help everyone try to figure out who this Darkseid person is."

"We're doing fine, Kara." Clark was lying through his teeth and he knew it – they hadn't a clue what they were doing – but he had grown to love his cousin dearly, and he was in no way going to let her get hurt on some ill-thought reconnaissance mission when she was so young and inexperienced.

"Still…"

"I promise if we need your help, we'll ask." Another lie – but this might not be as blatant as the first; Clark knew that if they really had to, he would not deny his cousin the chance to help. He checked his watch and said, "I should go – they need me in Metropolis in an hour."

Kara sighed. "All right." She hugged him. "Stay safe. Go kick some villain butt for me."

"You know it."

* * *

Batman waited patiently in the alley, fingering the experimental communicator he'd been working on until the person he came to meet showed up.

"Well?"

"The meteorite is in a secure facility adjoining the main S.T.A.R. Labs building," J'onn said. He had taken the form of his alter ego, John Jones, for this meeting. "These are all the files they had on the computer." He passed Batman a small flash drive – one of WayneTech's pioneer pieces. "Apparently the meteorite was some sort of extra-dimensional containment unit."

"For Darkseid?"

"I would assume so. The scientists were not able to get much from it – the prison is a hybrid of magic, energy, and advanced technology. Perhaps you will be able to learn more from their data."

"We'll see."

J'onn frowned at the noncommittal tone in the Dark Knight's voice. "You are not convinced that Cadmus has put all their information in their files." It was not a question.

"Not entirely."

"Why not?"

"Call it a hunch." Without another word, Batman was gone, leaving J'onn to ponder his words.

* * *

_**A/N: We're more than halfway through the story now - there are only twenty-four chapters in total, excluding the prologue. Tomorrow's chapter is very important not just to the story, but to the entire Diamond Earth universe, so don't miss that!**_


	16. Chapter Fifteen: Founding

_**A/N: Well, only two reviewers today...thanks, **leathman **and **Dextra2**!**  
_

_**This chapter's a whopping 3,000 over words because of that fateful event I was talking about last chapter, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!  
**_

_Timeline: December 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Founding**

The blue-cloaked figure hid in the shadows, frowning as she sensed the disturbances in Earth's mystic forces. Something was not right here…

With a gasp, she realized just what was wrong – and it was a horrible thing to come home to. Of course, she _had _been gone for eleven years…but for _this _to happen…She felt nothing but horror and sorrow. Earth would be gone in mere months. She had returned to her home just in time to see it destroyed.

A mad cackle from somewhere nearby caught her attention, and the mysterious girl shuddered at the utter lack of anything sane in that laugh. She peeked out from behind her secluded spot and found a green-haired clown facing down a young man about her age, who wore a dark blue costume with a simple band, shaped like the curve of a bird's outstretched wings, across the chest in a lighter blue.

"You're a long way from Gotham, Joker," Nightwing said, circling his opponent cautiously; Joker was not one to be underestimated.

"The big Bat doesn't seem to have time for me nowadays, so I thought I'd come visit little Bat Junior," Joker giggled. The next second, he yelped as a birdarang landed much too close for comfort.

"_Never _call me that," Nightwing hissed. Without warning, he charged at Joker, who sidestepped the attack with an insufferably smug grin on his face.

"Where's that pretty girlfriend of yours, birdie? I was looking forward to meeting her."

Nightwing didn't waste breath replying; he just threw an explosive disc in Joker's direction. Then he jumped on the mad clown, pinning him to the ground.

"Oh, _look_," Joker said enthusiastically, stopping his struggle to stare at the sky. When Nightwing didn't respond, Joker suggested, "You really might want to look, birdboy. It involves your girlfriend."

Nightwing had no intention of falling for Joker's trick, but apparently this time, the insane villain was telling the truth; a feminine grunt of pain caught Nightwing's attention, and he looked up to see Killer Frost freezing Starfire in a block of ice. His distraction was all Joker needed to reverse their roles and flip _him _onto his back while the mad clown straddled him. Normally, this wouldn't have been a problem for Nightwing, but he had not yet recovered full strength in his broken arm, despite its being out of the cast. Nightwing glared at his adversary, trying to ignore razor-sharp playing card Joker held against his neck while attempting to reach for his utility belt for something that would get him out of his predicament.

"Dear old Batsy will be _most _disappointed to hear of your death," Joker said gleefully. "I might even finally get to have some fun with him." He grinned manically as he moved his hand to end Nightwing's life.

_"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" _A large black claw erupted from nowhere and grabbed Joker off Nightwing, much to their surprise. At the same time, a tall, bulky figure in a grey hoodie and dark pants caught the falling Starfire ice block – thus preventing her death – and a green pterodactyl slammed into Killer Frost, knocking her off her ice platform.

Curious about the newcomers but not letting that distract him, Nightwing withdrew a bolas from his belt and flung it at Killer Frost while Starfire melted her way out of her icy prison with her green starbolts. Meanwhile, the pterodactyl shifted into a charging rhinoceros and ran into the shadows at a dark figure – Shade, who had been creeping up unawares with Volcana. The owner of the black claw that held Joker in check then stepped into view, revealing herself to be a teenage girl in a dark blue cloak. Joker managed to wriggle enough to toss the deadly card at her, and she, without thinking, dropped him in order to telekinetically suspend the weapon in mid-air. Joker, now free, dug in his pockets for a can of laughing gas that he sprayed at the person in the grey hoodie.

However, hoodie guy didn't appear to be affected by the toxic gas. Joker was understandably puzzled by this, and his confusion was further compounded when hoodie guy raised his arm to show a glowing cyan blue light where his hand should be.

"What the –" was all Joker got in before the light became a beam that slammed into Joker and sent him flying.

A trail of fire splashed over hoodie guy, who exclaimed angrily and attempted to bat away the flames while Starfire hurled starbolts at Volcana. The blue-cloaked girl helped her, trapping the fiery villainess in a dark dome until she passed out after using up all her oxygen by trying to burn her way out. Nearby, Nightwing and the green shapeshifter were dodging around Shade, trying to avoid the immortal's creeping black tendrils. Starfire made to help, but was blocked by Killer Frost, who had cut her way free of her bonds with a sharp piece of ice.

At a signal from Nightwing, he and Starfire abruptly switched opponents; Nightwing tossed an explosive disc at Killer Frost while ducking under the starbolt barrage Starfire aimed at Shade. Moments later, blue-cloak girl finished off Joker with a solid knockout punch of black energy, and the shapeshifter helped hoodie guy smother the last of the flames.

"Cool!" the green teen said admiringly.

The others looked to see what had claimed his attention; hoodie guy's hoodie had been burned to tatters, revealing a shiny cyborg body shot through with streaks of glowing cyan beneath his clothes. His torso was almost completely mechanical, as were his right arm and part of his left forearm. His obviously African-American face was mostly flesh, with the exception of his cybernetic left eye and a thin sliver of metal running down his left jaw. He looked decidedly surly.

"_Don't _say it," he warned the young shapeshifter – but it was too late.

"You're a cyborg!"

Hoodie guy scowled fiercely. "My _name _is Vic."

His new fan was oblivious. "You blasted Joker with your arm! That must mean you can transform it to a sonic cannon anytime you want to! That is so awesome!"

Vic blinked, unsure what to make of him. "Who are you?"

"You can call me Beast Boy." Beast Boy grinned. The blue-cloaked girl raised an eyebrow.

"Is that your actual name?" she queried.

"Well, no…but every hero needs a codename, and that's mine. What's yours?"

"What?"

"What's your codename?" Beast Boy explained.

The girl's eyebrow rose higher. "I don't have one."

"Really? You don't have a codename? But…" He hesitated, confused. "Aren't you a hero?"

"No."

"You helped us," Starfire put in, joining the conversation. "Heroes help people. Do they not?" she added uncertainly, glancing at Nightwing.

"In a manner of speaking." Nightwing's manner was cautious; he had heard of Beast Boy's involvement in the 9/11 rescue efforts – and even though no one had managed to find the changeling again, he was prepared to trust him – but he was still wary of the two unknowns. "What's your name, then?" he asked the blue-cloaked girl, who hesitated before answering.

"I'm Raven. And you are?"

"He's Nightwing," Vic spoke up grumpily. "Jump City's resident superhero."

"I've heard about you!" Beast Boy gushed. "Didn't you used to work with –" One glance at Nightwing's frown convinced him not to continue. "It's great to meet you," he said instead, smiling sheepishly.

"Superhero…" Raven rolled the word over her tongue thoughtfully. "I've heard the word before. In an old history book."

"You must be thinking about the Justice Society from the 60s," Beast Boy supplied helpfully.

"What would _you_ know of the Justice Society?" Nightwing wondered.

Beast Boy puffed out his chest proudly. "My adoptive parents were the leaders of the Doom Patrol – they worked a lot with the JSA back in the days."

"The Doom Patrol?" Vic repeated disbelievingly. "Didn't they disband like twenty years ago?"

"1980." Beast Boy nodded. "Yeah, they did – but I'm part of the new generation – just like Nightwing and Starfire." He beamed.

Raven's mind was running on autopilot. Clearly, while she'd been studying and training in Azarath, the world had given birth to a new generation of superheroes. Maybe they would stand a chance after all…

"Listen," she said urgently. "I have important news that concerns all of us, and I need to talk to you about it. Can we go somewhere private?"

Nightwing frowned. "I need to get these villains back to jail. They're too dangerous to be left unguarded."

"Can we meet after that?" Raven pressed. Something in her tone told Nightwing this was no trifling matter.

"Midnight on the docks. We'll meet you there," he promised, as he and Starfire took two villains each and vanished.

* * *

Raven, Beast Boy, and Vic stood on the docks, awaiting Nightwing and Starfire.

"I don't understand what _I'm _doing here," Vic grumbled. "I have nothing to do with any superhero issue."

"It doesn't matter," said Raven. "We'll need everyone we can get. Whether you were a hero before or not, you are now."

"And you?"

Raven considered that. "I suppose," she admitted. "But it wasn't my intent."

"They're here," Beast Boy announced, pointing as Nightwing and Starfire made their way up to them.

"What did you need to tell us?" Nightwing wasted no time, going straight to the heart of the matter. Raven nodded approvingly at his blunt, direct manner, and began.

"I was born in Jump City in November 1985. When I was five years old, my powers manifested themselves, and I was taken to a place called Azarath in a transitional dimension to be trained. I have only just returned to Earth tonight, and the minute I arrived, my powers sensed the presence of a great evil."

"Darkseid?" Beast Boy guessed. When Nightwing looked at him suspiciously, he shrugged. "I heard the rumors. Plus, I bumped into Speedy on my way here."

But Raven was shaking her head. "I've never heard of Darkseid."

"Join the club," said Vic.

"He's who we suspect is behind the recent string of villainous activity," Nightwing explained. "Apparently, he's some sort of god from a planet called Apokolips, and he wants to conquer Earth. The other heroes are trying to find out more – but we think he probably came to Earth with a meteorite that impacted in Mongolia on New Year's Day, 2000."

"We cannot let it happen," Starfire added.

"It's not Darkseid." Raven's voice was grim. "I know this presence. It is Parallax who is the real evil. Darkseid is just a coincidence."

"Who's Parallax?" Beast Boy asked.

"In Azarath, we have stories – legends – of a great menace from space, with origins so old no one knows what they are. It is said to be the very essence of fear itself; it conquers whole planets by feeding off the people's fear, and leaves nothing but a broken shell in its wake. The old monks had a name for it – they called it Parallax."

"So it's going to destroy the world? That does _not _sound good," Beast Boy moaned.

"It does not completely destroy planets like that," Raven countered. "Parallax feeds on the fears of sentient beings. When it finds a new world, it does the same – but while it heralds mass destruction for any world it visits, it leaves a small portion intact as a source of energy for later on. Any survivors will be even more afraid, and some have been known to destroy themselves in their fear. On certain occasions, Parallax would even possess a planet in order to use it as a host to conquer other worlds."

"And you know for a fact that this…Parallax is here on Earth?" Nightwing inquired.

Raven nodded solemnly. "It is here; it has been present on Earth for almost two years. But its influence is…subtle – it has not yet made a direct approach. But its power is growing – it will not be long before it attacks full force." She exhaled slowly. "And I'm afraid it intends to make Earth its host."

"How do you know all this?" Vic questioned.

"My powers as an empath grant me some awareness of dimensional disturbances, and I can pick up on the presence of certain beings by feeling their aural trails."

"What does this have to do with the meteorite?" Nightwing asked.

"I don't know," Raven admitted. "I was not here for that. It could merely be a coincidence, or it could be significant – but without further information, I can't tell you."

There was a beat of silence. The cold, biting December air rustled in a breeze, causing Raven to pull her cloak closer to herself. She'd forgotten what Earth winters were like; Azarath was so much warmer than this.

"So what are you guys intending to do?" Vic broke the silence, looking at Nightwing.

"What we always do. Protect the people. Fight."

"I have a suggestion," Raven spoke up. Everyone looked at her, and she shrank back slightly, unused to the attention.

"Go on," Starfire urged, her green eyes curious.

"Parallax is not something you can face alone. It is extremely powerful, and it uses everyone's fears to its advantage. A single hero alone, no matter how powerful, will always and certainly lose – Parallax will find his fear and use it against him."

"What if someone has no fears?" Nightwing suggested. "What if a person is utterly fearless?"

Vic was highly skeptical. "Do you know of anyone like that?"

Nightwing shrugged. "They say the current Green Lantern is without fear."

"Is he human?" Raven inquired.

"Yes."

"Then he's not without fear. He may be fearless in the sense that he has great courage, or is willing to do whatever it takes to carry out his duties as a Lantern – but I'm sure he has some small fear. No ordinary human, Lantern or not, is so completely without fear that Parallax cannot defeat him."

"What do you suggest, then?" Beast Boy asked, listening most attentively.

"As I said before, no one person, however fearless, can take on Parallax alone." Raven paused to look around at her four companions. "But if we were to, say, work together, we would have a chance."

"We are already coordinating with other heroes," Starfire said.

"Coordination is one thing; a proper team is another. Am I correct in assuming that at the moment, each hero remains focused on his or her city while taking a little time out for cooperation with everyone else?"

"Yes," Nightwing admitted.

"Then it's not enough. To have any chance of defeating Parallax, we'll need a _team_ – people who will trust and protect each other at all costs, who have trained together and know how to fight together."

"And I suppose you know where to get this team of superheroes?" Vic said dryly.

Raven smiled for the first time since they had met her. "I think I might have an idea."

The implications in her words were obvious. Vic's eyebrows rose so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline; Nightwing and Starfire exchanged glances; and Beast Boy looked awestruck.

"You want _us _to become a team?" he asked, stunned.

"We already know we work well together," Raven responded. "And we're all about the same age. And unless I'm mistaken, none of us lives with our parents anymore."

"That's not exactly adequate grounds to start a team," Nightwing pointed out.

"True," Raven conceded, "but necessity is the mother of invention. I would go so far as to say that we all trust each other to some degree – or we wouldn't be here together." Her gaze turned serious. "Earth needs us."

"Raven is correct," Starfire agreed. "I was born and raised on Tamaran, but Earth is my home, and it is in great peril. I have already suffered the loss of one homeworld; I will not stand to see another die."

"Dude, she's right," concurred Beast Boy. "I've been wandering all over the country doing hero stuff – but I felt the most helpful when I was working with others, like I did with Zatanna and Hawkgirl at the Pentagon, and with you four today."

Nightwing looked thoughtful. "I've always wondered what a proper superhero team could do for the world," he mused. "I guess this is my chance to find out."

The four of them turned to look at Vic, who was frowning and backing away from the incomplete circle the others had unconsciously made.

"I'd…rather not," he declined awkwardly.

"Vic," Raven said softly, "you're not a freak. I know you feel that way, but you're not."

Vic scowled at her. "Stay out of my head."

"Your cyborg body enables you to help others in a way most people can't," Raven continued. "Just like in that fight earlier – if you weren't what you are, you would never have been able to help us."

"It's not a bad thing to be different," Beast Boy chimed in. "And I'm sure our new team would need a tech guy."

Vic looked startled. "How did you know I'm a techie?"

Beast Boy grinned. "I'm guessing your prosthetic arm didn't come with a sonic cannon function?" he said, half-jokingly. This actually earned him a small smile from Vic.

"Nah, I did that myself." He hesitated. "You really want me?"

"The more the merrier," Nightwing invited warmly. He was already feeling a certain bond to the people he had met tonight; it was something Batman had consistently tried to train him out of, because being too attached to people was dangerous – but that was who Nightwing was, and in this instance, Batman didn't fully follow his own advice either (look how friendly he was with Superman and Zatanna).

Vic dithered for a bit more before his face broke out in a larger, genuine smile. "Okay, I guess I'm in." He walked back to the circle, making it complete and unbroken.

"We need a name for our group," Starfire proposed.

"Oh, I know!" Beast Boy was bouncing with glee. "We're all teenagers, right? So how about…Teen Titans!"

"Really? Titans?" Vic questioned.

"It's alliterative," Beast Boy defended. "And it's catchy."

Vic shook his head. "You're a weird little dude, you know that?"

"I like it," Starfire declared.

"I don't much care either way," put in Raven. "As long as we're a team."

"Then I guess that's what we are." Nightwing stretched his hand out. "All in for the Teen Titans?"

"Aye," was the chorus, as the other four joined their hands with his in the center.

The residents of Jump City may not have known it, but their city had just become the birthplace of the first superhero team of the new generation. And it wasn't founded by experienced adult heroes deciding they should have more cooperation. No – that December night, a team was created by five gifted teenagers who, in voluntarily choosing to unite on a common ground, had just embarked on a friendship that would define them all in the years to come.

* * *

_**A/N: And so begins the Second Age of Heroes :) Joker wasn't OOC, was he? I find him difficult to write because he's insane, and I can't get into his head.**_


	17. Chapter Sixteen: Christmas Eve

_**A/N: Yay, I'm back to hacing five reviewers to thank...Thank you, **Jazbez, Jess Marylin, Dextra2, doglover500, **and **leathman**!**  
_

_Timeline: December 2001_

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Christmas Eve**

"'It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas…'" Wally sang softly to himself as he balanced a basket of cookies in one hand and knocked with the other. The door was opened shortly by a stunningly beautiful girl with long red hair and vibrant green eyes. Wally had seen her once before, as Starfire on 9/11 – but he most definitely had not seen her as she was now, in a flouncy, off-shoulder lilac dress that hugged her curves and flared out at the skirt.

Flashing the gorgeous girl his most winning smile, he said, "Hi! I'm –"

"Wally West," Kory said delightedly. "Yes, Dick has told me so much about you. Come in!"

Still grinning, Wally entered the modest apartment and whistled at the amount of decorations that had been put up. There were green and red streamers everywhere, and gold and silver tinsel adorned practically every flat surface. Wally even spied several sprigs of mistletoe and holly interspersed at various locations on the ceiling. Not to mention the four-foot plastic Christmas tree in the corner that glittered with dozens of colorful lights, so many that the ornaments looked rather ordinary in comparison and could barely be seen for all the shine. A merry jingle of Christmas songs sounded from Dick's stereo system.

"Yo, Dick!" Wally called as he entered the kitchen with his basket. "Who did the deco?"

Dick, who was stirring a pan of raspberry cream sauce and keeping an eye on the turkey in the oven at the same time, replied, "Kory."

Wally laughed. "And you actually _let _her put up all that stuff? You've mellowed. A lot."

Dick's expression was wry. "It was the only way to keep her out of the kitchen. I told her she could take care of all the decorations if she let me do all the cooking."

"Looks like you got the short end of that deal."

"No," Dick disagreed, spooning the sauce into a bowl. "If I let her cook, I'd die of food poisoning."

Wally blinked. "Is she that bad?"

"Not exactly," Dick admitted. "But the only thing she knows how to cook is Tamaranean food – which is practically inedible for us normal humans."

"So just teach her to cook normal food," Wally suggested, arranging his cookies on a plate.

"I've tried." Dick shuddered. "_That _she's horrible at. Apparently Tamaranean methods of cooking are vastly different from Earth methods. She nearly burned the kitchen down."

"Ouch," Wally commented sympathetically as Dick retrieved the turkey from the oven. "But you like her, don't you?"

"Yes." Dick smiled as Kory waved at him from the doorway. "I like her a lot."

Dinner was a very pleasant affair. Kory knew Wally was Flash, and she also knew he knew about Nightwing, so she talked about the Teen Titans without restraint. Wally thought it was an interesting idea – a team of superheroes working together from the same place. Cyborg and Raven had already begun construction of a headquarters on a little, unclaimed island in the middle of the stretch of the Hudson River that ran through the city. According to Kory's happy declaration, it was to be a tower in the shape of a T. Wally got quite a few laughs out of that one.

"Wally, I have a favor to ask you," Dick confided when they were on dessert.

"What?" Wally asked, chomping on pudding.

"I want you to join the Titans."

Wally stopped chomping. "What?" he asked again, staring at his friend.

"You heard me. We could use your experience."

"Dick, you know you're way more experienced than I am."

"But I don't have superpowers."

"You know I'm starting my new job at the lab next month, right? I can't move to Jump City."

"I'm not asking you to. Hell, with your speed, you don't need to."

"Why are you asking me?" Wally inquired curiously. "Why not Batgirl or Speedy or some other young hero you know?"

"They're still at university. And they've got their own partners in their own cities." Dick hesitated. "I know it's a lot to ask, but it would really mean a lot to me if you'd consider joining."

Wally smiled. "You remember when we first met?"

"'Course I do. That was the best exchange program I've ever participated in. Though I still don't understand how you managed to figure out I was Robin."

"You were always disappearing whenever the Bat-signal appeared, and I _am _a master of physics. I recognized your movements." Wally shook his head in fond memory. "Anyway, you repaid the favor well enough; the first time Flash showed up in Gotham, you figured out pretty quick who I was."

"What can I say? I may not be the Batman, but I _do _know you."

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

"About your identity? No. But knowing him, he may have figured it out by now – especially after all the research he did when he was trying to find you."

Wally nodded absently. "You remember what I said after we put Joker away?"

"'We should do this more often'," Dick quoted.

"I meant what I said." Wally grinned. "I'm in."

Kory let out a whoop of joy and embraced him warmly. "Welcome to the Teen Titans, Wally West."

* * *

Amanda Waller started when the dark figure dropped down in front of her, but quickly regained her composure.

"This _is _a surprise," she said dryly. "Doesn't Bruce Wayne have better places to be on Christmas Eve?"

"He does." Batman didn't seem surprised to learn that Waller knew who he was. "Batman doesn't."

"What do you want?"

Batman eyed her for a long moment before replying. "To talk."

"What do you want to talk about? How you stole the Martian from right under our nose or how you deleted our files?"

"Neither," said Batman. "I want to talk to you about that meteorite you're keeping locked up in S.T.A.R. Labs."

Waller's expression became even more guarded. "That's classified."

"That meteorite brought at least one extremely powerful supervillain to Earth," Batman informed her. "Isn't that the sort of thing Cadmus is supposed to fight against?"

"You're awfully well informed about the project." Waller did not sound surprised.

"I'm not called the World's Greatest Detective for nothing."

"What do you want?" Waller asked again.

"Information. Your scientists have been working on that meteorite for nearly two years. Is there anything significant they discovered? Something you told them not to put in the files?"

Waller stared at him. "How do you know what's in our files?"

"I have my sources."

Waller shook her head; she'd always known Batman was one to watch out for, but clearly she'd underestimated him. It was a mistake she wouldn't repeat.

"There was only one thing I instructed my people not to put in writing," she confessed. "The meteorite isn't just a fortified prison – it's a portal to a whole other world. That information is exceedingly dangerous, and I couldn't have it falling into the wrong hands."

"So the scientists were sworn to secrecy?"

"They had their memories wiped." Waller rolled her eyes at Batman's stern glare. "Don't look at me like that – you would find a way to do the same to anyone who discovered your identity if you really couldn't afford to leave them in possession of that knowledge. Sometimes it's necessary to do morally questionable things in order to ensure the greater good. Besides, Cadmus' memory modification technology is the best there is – the scientists weren't harmed at all."

"So the meteorite is a dimensional portal?" Batman questioned, pointedly changing the topic.

"Of a sort," Waller confirmed. "I haven't dared to get my people to look more into it – I almost lost a man to the portal. If I had to guess, though, I would say that other dimension is where that great evil everyone seems to be talking about came from." When Batman narrowed his eyes, she scoffed. "Please. Cadmus researches superheroes – did you really think we wouldn't know what virtually the entire hero community is whispering about?"

"I'd suggest you tread carefully, Waller," Batman warned. "Playing with fire will only get you burned."

"Someone has to do it, or others will get burned too," Waller retorted. "Let me make this perfectly clear: I don't trust you. I don't trust anybody with power greater than a normal human being – it makes them dangerous. But I am not out for superhero blood. I may not like it, but I know you people are using your abilities for good. I may keep top secret data on all of you just to ensure some measure of protection, but I will not pick a fight with any of you so long as you continue the way you're going. I won't reveal any of your identities for the same reason." Here her gaze hardened, becoming firm and determined. "But I warn you: the slightest misstep, and I will have the dogs at your throat no matter how powerful you are. You can pass that on to all your friends."

"They don't know about Cadmus."

"Don't they?" said Waller. "They'll find out soon enough. Much as I would like to, we won't be able to keep Cadmus quiet for much longer. You're not the only one digging for information on us. There's a guy in Hub City with a whole bunch of conspiracy theories that are dangerously close to the truth."

"The Question?" At Waller's obvious astonishment, Batman smiled grimly. "Where do you think I've been getting my information?"

"Clever," Waller admitted grudgingly. She sidestepped Batman and made to walk away. "I've told you what I know. Next time you want to see me, make an appointment."

"Don't count on it."

* * *

Darkseid seethed with rage in his secluded base in the Appalachian mountain range. His plan was falling apart. His coalition of villains had struck at various superheroes as instructed, but he had clearly forgotten to take into consideration their abysmal inferiority. None of the heroes were neutralized, and now they were crawling out of the woodwork like fleas, allying themselves against the threat they knew would come. Moreover, his employee list had been whittled down to a mere six villains. Slowly but surely, the heroes had been fighting back.

"Kalibak!" Darkseid roared.

His son poked his head out from behind a wall. "Yes, Father?"

"Assemble the underlings. They may not have succeeded against the heroes, but at least I now know enough about them to know how to strategize against them."

"Is it time then, Father?" Kalibak asked eagerly. "Do we strike now?"

Darkseid smiled wickedly. "Yes, my son. It is time."

* * *

_**A/N: My favorite scene in here has to be the one with Batman and Waller. I liked their relationship on JLU, and I tried to recapture that here.**_


	18. Chapter Seventeen: Possession

_**A/N: Today's chapter sees a good deal of action, and starts the progression to the climax. Thanks to **Jazbez, Jess Marylin, doglover500, **and **leathman **for reviewing!**  
_

_Timeline: January 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Possession**

Raven leaped over another energy blast, narrowly twisting to avoid another, before finally landing on a wall a few feet above. Her purple-haired opponent scowled.

"Little girl," Tala mocked, readying another volley, "stay still."

Nearby, Nightwing was trying to free Beast Boy from the magical restraints Tala had placed on him that prevented him from changing shape, while Starfire fought off Weather Wizard.

"Where's Cyborg?" Raven asked, dodging yet another blast from Tala.

"He will be here," Starfire replied, trying and failing to reach Weather Wizard's wand, with which he was causing havoc.

Just then, a bright blue surge of energy collided with Tala's mystic shield, knocking the witch off her feet. Vic, now known as Cyborg, stood behind, his right cannon arm still smoking.

"Sorry I'm late," he remarked lightly.

"Dude, it's about time," Beast Boy complained as Nightwing finally managed to get him free. He immediately changed into a ram and butted into Tala, who sidestepped and flung a curse at Nightwing. Raven reflexively put up a black shield to defend their team leader.

_"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"_ A car was gripped in black energy and thrown at Tala; the witch barely managed to fling herself out of the way in time.

Weather Wizard was calling down lightning strike after lightning strike; Cyborg yelped as one caught him and short-circuited his cybernetic parts. Starfire cried out when another stung her, and hurled a starbolt in retaliation. Raven kept Tala at bay, trusting Nightwing to protect her from the lightning by conducting the electricity elsewhere with his retractable metal bo staff. Beast Boy shifted into an eagle and dodged lightning in an attempt to get to Weather Wizard's staff.

They'd reached a stalemate; neither side could gain a definite advantage over the other. Fortunately for the Titans, that stalemate was broken with a blur of red. Flash whipped Weather Wizard's wand away from him, and without the distraction of the lightning, Raven and Nightwing were able to pin Tala.

"Mark, how many times have I told you not to play with lightning?" Flash chided. "It's dangerous. Someone could seriously get hurt – most likely, you."

Weather Wizard did not scowl or retort back as he ordinarily might have; in fact, his face looked positively gleeful – too much so for someone who had just lost his weapon.

"Or it could be you," he commented, almost casually, as twin beams of red light sliced out, seemingly from nowhere. Flash simply ran out of the way, his confidence obvious; however, to his alarmed surprise, the beams followed him. The speedster's grin slipped off his face as each time he avoided the beams, they simply turned to chase him again, twisting and curving in a way that should have been impossible. No matter how fast Flash ran, the beams followed; and they got him a few seconds later, sending him crashing against a wall. Stunned, the other Titans turned to see a tall, rock-like humanoid wielding the physics-defying beams with nothing but his glowing red eyes.

"Step aside, children," he rumbled derisively, "and bow before your god."

"I'm assuming you're Darkseid?" Cyborg said, warily eyeing the imposing villain. He was punched hard for his comment.

"Insolent fool!" Kalibak roared. "You do not _assume _anything! You are but a pathetic Earthling!"

Cyborg glared at him, rubbing his bruised jaw. "Okay, I officially don't like you."

"The feeling is mutual, bud," a new voice said. The remaining members of Darkseid's coalition – Captain Boomerang, Atomic Skull, Bizarro, and the Key – had arrived.

"You are outnumbered and outmatched," said Darkseid. "Surrender now and I will be merciful."

"By mercy, do you mean conquering Earth and making us slaves?" quipped Beast Boy. "I think I'll pass."

Darkseid's expression became one of cold fury. "As you wish." He unleashed his Omega Beams on Beast Boy, who was blasted into the air when he was unable to avoid them. "Bow!" Darkseid demanded imperiously.

"Flash, get the others!" Nightwing instructed, whipping out his bo staff to its full length.

The Scarlet Speedster nodded grimly as he picked himself up, then dashed away before anyone could stop him, leaving the other five Titans to face the villains alone.

* * *

Flash raced his way across the country, zooming by every city he could think of. In New York, he caught J'onn helping out with cleanup efforts at Ground Zero. In Metropolis, he yelled for Superman and hoped to heaven that the Kryptonian heard him. When he reached Gotham, he lit up the Bat-signal and left a short message explaining where and what the trouble was. He ran all around Salem until he smacked into Doctor Fate's invisible tower and passed the wizard the news. In Star City, he snagged Roy Harper and told him to collect Green Arrow and Black Canary. When he passed Zatanna and Hawkgirl at various intervals on his cross-country trek, he warned them too. Then he sped back to Jump City to find the Titans fighting a losing battle.

J'onn had since arrived to help out, but even with him things were going badly. Nightwing was still fighting, though he was plainly injured; Beast Boy was unconscious; Cyborg had lost his cybernetic right arm; Starfire was tiring; Raven was bleeding from several gashes. And as Flash watched, J'onn was smashed to the ground by Kalibak.

"Hey, ugly!" Flash called, waving his arms. "Over here!"

"Insolence!" Kalibak bellowed, switching directions to lunge at Flash. The speedster nimbly sidestepped, and Kalibak crashed into the pavement.

"I've alerted the others," Flash told Nightwing as he dodged yet another blow from Kalibak. "I don't know how soon they'll be here, though."

Nightwing grunted as he struggled against Atomic Skull. "We'll just have to hold them off until they do."

A scream sounded from the left, and Flash turned to see Darkseid tracking Starfire with his Omega Beams. The Tamaranean was unable to avoid them, and they struck her in the side, causing her to drop to the ground. Starfire tried to get up, but Darkseid planted his big foot on her.

"Die, Tamaranean scum," he said.

Flash was going to run to help her, but a great blow from Bizarro shook the ground and made him lose his balance.

Just then, a purple ankh portal appeared in the air, and Doctor Fate, Wonder Woman, and Zatanna flew out of it. Wonder Woman barreled into Darkseid, knocking him off Starfire as Zatanna cornered Tala. Doctor Fate cast a spell to trap the Key in a semi-dimensional portal, inciting the pasty villain's rage.

Cyborg had pulled Beast Boy to a corner and was rigorously defending his helpless teammate with sonic blasts from his remaining arm. J'onn morphed into a huge, horned creature to tackle Kalibak; and while Nightwing continued dancing around Atomic Skull, Flash headed straight for Weather Wizard, who had since reclaimed his wand and was again calling down lightning strikes.

"Lightning travels as fast as you, Flash," Weather Wizard said smugly as he directed his electric bolts at Flash's speeding form. True enough, a crack of lightning collided with the speedster less than a second later, causing unbelievable torture for him as the electricity surged through his veins.

Fortunately for Flash, Superman showed up just then, neatly slicing Weather Wizard's wand in two with his laser vision before going after Atomic Skull, relieving a tiring Nightwing.

"You need to rest," Raven told him, casting a black shield to protect them from the Key's shots that went astray as he dueled Doctor Fate.

"I'm fine," Nightwing insisted.

"You're hurt." Raven pointed to a nasty burn in his side.

"So are…you?" Nightwing stared in confusion at Raven's unblemished skin. There were still traces of blood, but the cuts they had come from were completely gone.

"Let me heal you, at least," Raven persuaded, moving closer; her hands were already glowing with black energy.

Nightwing, however, had noticed a large rock flying their way – a by-product of Darkseid's battle with Starfire and Wonder Woman some feet away – and he grabbed Raven and pulled her down, letting the rock sail over their heads.

"Save it for the battle," he told her.

"But…" Raven broke off as Starfire went flying into Wonder Woman. With the two heroines down, Darkseid charged at Nightwing's unprotected back. "Dick!" Raven called in alarm.

Nightwing ducked just in time and Raven instinctively put up a dark force field to protect herself. She gasped as Darkseid's heavy fists came down forcefully on her shield.

As Darkseid rained blows against Raven's shield and caused her knees to buckle with the strain, her empathic abilities sensed something malevolent that didn't belong to Darkseid, however evil the god was.

"No…" she gasped as the last of her shield splintered and gave way. She collapsed, her mind reeling, as a sudden barrage of lasers rained down on Darkseid from the Batplane that had just appeared. A hatch opened in the hull and Batman dove into the fray, leaving Batgirl to pilot the plane and attack from the sky.

"Raven, are you okay?" Nightwing asked in concern, bending down to help her up as J'onn covered them.

The empath gripped Nightwing's costume and spoke urgently. "Nightwing, it's Parallax – it's possessing Darkseid!"

Nightwing stared at her. "What?"

* * *

**_A/N: What, indeed. What happens next? Well, you're free to your opinions (and your reviews ;) but you won't know for sure until tomorrow._**


	19. Chapter Eighteen: Guardian Of Fear

_**A/N: So, picking up from the cliffhanger yesterday, here's Chapter Eighteen. Thanks to the usual suspects **Jazbez, Jess Marylin, **and **leathman **for reviewing on Chapter Seventeen, as well as to **JDP95 **who left reviews on three earlier ****chapters.**  
_

_Timeline: January 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Guardian of Fear**

Zatanna crashed to the ground dangerously close to where Cyborg and Beast Boy were taking cover. Tala hovered over her, malicious.

"You are no match for me, magician."

"We'll see about that. _Retaw kcatta!_"

A powerful jet of water from the bay shot towards Tala; the surprised sorceress avoided the spray and resumed her magical battle with Zatanna as Cyborg watched, feeling useless with his one arm.

"Come on, you little grass stain, wake up!" Cyborg fired a few blasts at Darkseid (that missed) and nudged Beast Boy's still form with his foot none too gently. "I'm not gonna cover your lazy ass forever." In truth, Vic Stone would have defended his green teammate to his very last breath – but the fact that Beast Boy hadn't regained consciousness yet was worrying.

"It's Parallax!" Nightwing's warning cut through the sounds of battle. "Parallax is controlling Darkseid's body!"

"Don't think about your fears, any of you!" Batman warned immediately, tussling ferociously with the Key.

"Too late!" J'onn cried. The reason for his distress became clear soon enough; Darkseid's red eyes glowed with power as Parallax used him to advance on Cyborg and Beast Boy.

"Vic, no!" Raven cried – but it was too late. Parallax had already latched on to Cyborg's insecurities about his abnormal appearance, his place in the Teen Titans, and his fear for Beast Boy's well-being. The entity of fear itself greedily lapped up Cyborg's dread, powering up. With one violent energy blast, Parallax literally leveled the field. The heroes who were still standing were flung in various directions as the ground shook and flattened. The Batplane crashed into a skyscraper whose windows shattered with the force of Parallax's power.

**"I can sense your fear." **It was Darkseid speaking, but it wasn't his voice; this voice was infinitely darker and more chilling. **"I can smell it. I will have it." **Something appeared to catch his attention, because he advanced to Raven's crouched form. **"Your fear, especially, is delicious."**

"No…" Raven whispered. _"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos!"_

Darkseid laughed, an evil sound. **"You feel the fears of others, and you yourself fear so much; you will make me powerful."**

"Step away from the girl, Parallax." This new voice was calm, confident, sure. Parallax turned to see Green Lantern hovering behind him, clearly just returned from Oa, his ring glowing.

**"A Green Lantern," **Parallax noted. **"My greatest enemies."**

"You know it," said Hal. "Leave them alone, Krona."

Parallax hissed furiously. **"Do not speak that name! I am Parallax!"**

"You _were _Krona," Hal said quietly.

"Enough!"Parallax roared, sounding a bit more like Darkseid. **"Green Lantern or not, you have fears – and I will find them, and taste them, and drain you of them."**

"You're really far gone, aren't you, Krona? Green Lanterns don't _have _fears, remember?"

**"Do not delude yourself. The Guardians like to think they are immune, but in truth, they are afraid of fear itself. They are too weak-minded to harness its power. I, however, am not. I have evolved, Green Lantern – and I will destroy you!" **

A grey, smoky substance, its dark cloud shot through with veins of glowing yellow, seemed to pour out of Darkseid's body and advance on Hal. The Green Lantern tightened his ring hand into a fist, and an iridescent green shield erupted from his ring, keeping Parallax at bay.

"Get out of here," Hal told his fellow heroes through gritted teeth, clearly straining to keep the shield in place.

"We're not leaving you alone to face him," Superman said.

"Unless you can keep a lock on your fear, that's exactly what you're going to do. Otherwise he'll feed off you."

"But –" Wonder Woman's protest was cut off by a great roar from the smoky shape that was Parallax. Hal's shield began to crack; the Lantern grunted as he attempted to keep it going with the sheer force of his will – but Parallax was too strong, and the shield was almost completely broken now…

All of a sudden, the shadowy being broke away and disappeared. There was not a trace that it had been there before.

"What the heck?" Flash stared at Hal. "Where did he go?"

Hal was about to say he didn't know, when Darkseid groaned and shook his head, then glared around at all of them with his red eyes.

"What mortal trickery is this?" the god demanded, advancing menacingly Superman, who stood his ground resolutely. Around him, the other villains gathered around Kalibak and watched warily, waiting to see what would happen; Parallax's appearance had shaken them, and they weren't quite sure what was going on anymore.

"No trickery, Darkseid," said Superman. "But you're going to be locked up for a long time."

"Insignificant human! I will crush you like a worm!" Darkseid drew his large fist back and slammed it at Superman; but he was still disoriented from Darkseid's possession, and the Man of Steel was easily able to stop the punch in its tracks. Darkseid's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not human," was Superman's simple explanation. He punched Darkseid hard with his free hand, and the supervillain went flying. However, he got to his feet mere moments after his fall, glowering at Superman.

"You may be as strong as I, mortal," Darkseid said, "but you are no match for a god." His eyes glowed cherry red, preparing to fire Omega Beams to kill.

Wonder Woman smashed into him from the back, knocking him over and forcing him back to the ground. Superman picked up where she left off, placing a firm foot on Darkseid's back, preventing him from getting up.

"It's over, Darkseid."

"Get your filthy hands off my father!" Kalibak roared, lunging for Superman, only to be blocked by Starfire's starbolts. The young god ducked the solar blasts and tackled Superman, attempting to get the Kryptonian off balance so Darkseid could get up, while the other villains rallied and attacked the heroes once more. With Darkseid and Kalibak out of the picture, the other heroes were able to subdue them without much real damage.

Meanwhile, Kalibak was nearly able to get Superman off Darkseid before a big net came hurtling down from the sky, entrapping Kalibak in an inescapable prison. Everyone paused to look up at the starship that landed on the bay and the armored male who came out of it.

Darkseid glared at the newcomer with pure fury; Kalibak wasn't far behind.

"Orion, you dishonor yourself by betraying your own father," Darkseid said coldly.

"You are_ not_ my father!" Orion seethed. "You are a criminal, and by the authority given to me by the Highfather, I declare you guilty of crimes against New Genesis and order your arrest. You will return to prison and remain there."

Darkseid scowled, but while he remained trapped under Superman's foot there wasn't much else he could do. Orion moved to cuff him with some sort of glowing blue restraint that seemed to be made of pure electricity. Superman warily stepped aside and let Orion take charge, while Batman watched the proceedings with narrowed eyes.

"Who are you?" Batman asked bluntly.

"My name is Orion. I come from the planet of New Genesis, a neighbor of Apokolips. Darkseid is biologically my father…" Orion scowled as the admission passed his lips. "…but I do not consider myself his son." He looked around grimly. "I apologize for whatever damage Darkseid may have caused on your planet. Thank you for your help. I will take him back to our star system and imprison him and Kalibak again."

With that, Orion yanked both Darkseid and Kalibak to their feet and dragged them to his ship. After he tossed them into the detention cells, he got into the pilot's seat and flew off.

"Uhhh…" Everyone – the Titans, especially – turned to see Beast Boy regaining consciousness. "What'd I miss?"

* * *

Later, when everyone had sufficiently recovered from the battle, they met with other heroes who hadn't been involved in the fight in the half-finished Titans Tower to take stock of their situation and share their information. Green Lantern, especially, had much to contribute. He had just finished his training on Oa, and he had learned quite a bit about Parallax during his time there.

"The Guardians of Oa are the immortal supervisors of the Green Lantern Corps," Hal explained. "They created the Corps centuries ago. Originally there were seven Guardians, but one of them, Krona, left almost a thousand years ago. There's an empty, blackened chair in the Guardians' courtyard that belongs to him.

"It was a time of great crisis for the Corps. They were facing a foe that none of the remaining Guardians will talk to us about, but I get the feeling it was really bad. This villain, whoever it was, was exploiting the only weakness Green Lanterns had: fear. When their fear overpowered their will, they could no longer use their ring. Krona wanted to go to the source of yellow fear in the core of Oa and master its power so the Corps would have a better chance, but the other Guardians disagreed. Krona went anyway. Somehow, his mind and spirit fused with the yellow impurity and he became an ethereal creature of fear itself. He renamed himself Parallax and defeated the enemy single-handedly, but then he turned on the Corps. The other Guardians combined their powers and locked him in an extra-dimensional prison where he couldn't hurt anyone."

"And now he's loose on Earth," concluded Batman.

"Exactly," Green Lantern agreed. "That meteorite that crashed in Mongolia two years ago was the host of the portal that led to Parallax's prison. In some ironic twist of fate, it was also the meteorite where the Highfather of New Genesis imprisoned Darkseid and Kalibak. When the meteorite crashed, all three of them escaped. We all know about Darkseid's plan to make Earth another Apokolips, but what Darkseid didn't know was that Parallax has been subtly influencing his actions all along."

"I did not sense him until he took full possession of Darkseid," Raven added.

"It all fits now," J'onn mused. "Parallax was using Darkseid to get rid of all the heroes in order to lower Earth's defenses. He probably could have done it more effectively himself, but he didn't want to make himself known yet. He was targeting you especially…" He nodded at Green Lantern. "…because you of all people would know who he was and have a greater chance of stopping him. And he influenced Darkseid to attack when you were off planet."

"And so, coincidences are revealed as strategy," Green Arrow muttered.

"If the Green Lantern Corps has dealt with Parallax before, can't we ask them for their help?" Batgirl asked.

Green Lantern sighed. "I wish we could. But the Guardians are…difficult. They know exactly what Parallax is capable of, and they're afraid to face him again. They won't let the Corps defend Earth for fear of losing Green Lanterns."

"But isn't that what the Corps is supposed to do?" Hawkgirl inquired. "To protect people – defend planets?"

"Parallax is not going to stop at Earth," Doctor Fate stated. "He will make Earth his host, and then he will go after other planets. He will eventually take revenge on Oa."

"I know that." Green Lantern looked grim. "The problem with the Guardians is that they think long term, and on a much larger scale than we do. They've already implemented contingency plans to protect other planets from Parallax until they find a way to defeat him again, but they believe Earth is too far gone. They can sense Parallax's influence all over the planet, and they won't commit the Corps to its defense because if we lose, the other worlds won't stand a chance."

"They're sacrificing Earth?" Katana surmised.

"I'm afraid so."

"What are you doing here, then?" Batman queried. "Shouldn't you be on Oa with the rest of the Corps?"

Green Lantern looked at him seriously. "Earth is my home. I won't leave it defenseless. The Guardians gave me permission to do what I can to protect it. And believe you me, I am going to do everything in my power."

"As am I," agreed Wonder Woman.

"As are we all," Black Lightning amended. "The real question now is where is Parallax?"

"And why did he leave?" Zatanna put in. "He had the advantage. He could have pushed on. Instead, he just…left."

"Orion's arrival must have startled him," Nightwing suggested. "Maybe he wasn't prepared to deal with another immortal."

"It doesn't matter, anyway," said Superman. "I don't think we've seen the last of him. We need to lay our own contingency plans for when he shows up again. And we _all _need to be there to face him when that happens."

"There's a problem with that," Flash pointed out. "It's a little difficult to work together when we don't have failsafe methods of contacting each other. Me running around the country in the hopes of bumping into one of you isn't going to work."

"That's why we're all going to take one of these." Batman placed a handful of what looked like tiny grey balls connected to short metal wires on the table.

"What are they?" Starfire asked interestedly, picking up one of them.

"Communicators. I took the liberty of inventing them after our last meeting. They're already set to the same frequency. Keep them with you at all times, and contact won't be a problem."

"Gotta say, Bats – you are a genius."

Superman, Black Lightning, Nightwing, Batgirl, Speedy, and Green Arrow all coughed simultaneously at Flash's casual nickname for the Dark Knight. Batman's eye twitched, but he said nothing except, "I think this meeting is concluded."

* * *

_**A/N: Batman is never going to get a moment's peace now ;) He let Flash get away with nicknaming him XD**_


	20. Chapter Nineteen: Battleplan

_**A/N: We're getting really close to the finale now...**  
_

_**Thanks to my three reviewers **Jess Marylin, Dextra2, **and **Jazbez**!**  
_

_Timeline: February 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Battleplan**

Nightwing screwed in the last bolt in the last door, acutely aware that his teammates were all watching. As soon as the final _thunk _signaled that the bolt was tightened firmly in place, Beast Boy and Starfire let out twin whoops of joy.

"Awesome!" Beast Boy exclaimed. "We're finally done! Titans Tower is complete!"

"Yes, yes!" Starfire chimed in, eyes shining. "It is glorious!"

"It looks great, Dick," Flash said appreciatively, casting an appraising eye over their new headquarters. "Even with the T shape."

Nightwing nudged him hard for his comment.

"Hate to break up the celebration here, but…" interjected Raven, "Has anyone seen Cyborg?"

Beast Boy blinked and looked around; sure enough, the cybernetic teen was nowhere to be seen. "That's funny…I could've sworn he was just here…"

"Why would he miss such a momentous occasion?" Starfire wondered.

"Want me to run to the mainland and find him?" Flash offered.

"No, wait." Raven pulled her hood up. "I'll go."

"Do you think she has any idea where to look?" Beast Boy asked, watching Raven teleport away.

"She's an empath; she probably knows exactly where he is," Nightwing replied, wiping his hands on a grease towel.

"But shouldn't we go with her? I mean, if Cyborg's in trouble, then…"

"Beast Boy, right now, Cyborg's only trouble is himself."

"But we're a team!" Beast Boy protested. "Shouldn't we at least go see what he needs? Isn't that what teammates do?"

Nightwing smiled knowingly as he packed up the toolset. "Sometimes, Beast Boy, being a team means knowing when to back off and give someone their space."

* * *

Raven found Cyborg on the roof of the headquarters of Marvel Mechanics, one of the U.S.'s leading companies in robotics research and development. Without a word, she settled down next to him. Cyborg took one look at her and snorted.

"You gonna ask me to talk about it too?" he questioned sarcastically.

"No," she replied. "Sometimes these things are better dealt with alone. But I'm here for you if you _do _want to talk."

"Hmph."

Raven, unfazed by his monosyllabic reply, asked, "How's your arm?"

Cyborg unconsciously flexed his right arm, as if to be sure it was there. "Good as new. Didn't take me long to fix it. Mechanics is the one thing I'm good at." There was a bitter, self-mocking tone to his voice that Raven instantly recognized.

"Vic, it wasn't your fault."

"Don't bother, Rae. I've already gone through it with the others."

"Clearly, you're not listening enough."

"Nothing to listen to. It _was _my fault."

"No, it wasn't," Raven insisted. "Parallax –"

"Parallax may have been the one to do the damage, but I was the one who let him feed on my fears. I made him stronger. I let y'all down – and that's all on me." He looked dejected and desolate, and Raven took some time to choose her next words carefully.

"Well, that's life, Victor. You're always going to let people down. No matter how hard you try, inevitably, you will hurt someone, whether you meant to or not. People make mistakes. It's not the first time something like this has happened, and it won't be the last." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But your team will be right there supporting you through it all."

"It's not just that, Rae," Cyborg said, shrugging her hand off. "Mistakes I can deal with. Hell, I made a ton of them in my old life. But after I turned into…this…I can't do anything right. I'm not a normal human anymore, so I can't fit in with everyone else – but I'm not a full robot, either, and that's what makes me vulnerable. My mechanical parts mean I'll be brought down by electricity or anything else that messes with my circuits – but since I'm still part human, that means that things can mess with my head, too. It wouldn't be so bad if I was either one or the other – but I hate being this half-and-half creature."

"One thing I learned in Azarath," said Raven, "is that everything happens for a reason. You were born as a normal human, but that was not what you were meant to be. Vic – you're a cyborg for a reason."

"Easy for you to say," mumbled Cyborg.

"No, it's not," Raven said unexpectedly, causing Cyborg to look quizzically up at her. "Vic, you have no _idea _how hard I have to work to believe that things happen for a reason. It took the monks in Azarath _years _to make me see myself as something other than a worthless creature who was unfit to live."

"You?" Cyborg stared. "But you're…normal."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Have you looked around lately? None of us is normal."

"No, I mean – you're human, and you look it."

Raven chuckled humorlessly. "I'm only half-human, Cyborg. I'm a half-creature, just like you."

"You are?" Cyborg blinked. "So…what's your other half?"

"You _don't _want to know," Raven muttered darkly.

"How bad could it be?"

Raven's eyes narrowed. "Let's just say there are things in my past that are better left undisclosed." She sighed and deftly steered the conversation back on track. "Look…it's a process. There are a lot of people who don't deserve the cards they've been dealt, but that's just the way life is. We have to make the most of what we have, what we can do. We can't dwell on what might have been." Her face took on a distant expression. "Even though it would be so easy to, sometimes."

Cyborg looked at her cautiously. "Raven?"

"Parallax came after me, too," Raven said quietly. "You're not the only one who was afraid. I am so afraid of so many things, and with my powers…he would have been virtually unstoppable. If Parallax had been able to feed off me, if Orion hadn't arrived when he did – I would be responsible for the destruction of Earth."

"But you weren't," Cyborg said. "I don't know how powerful you are – but it doesn't matter. It didn't happen, you're not responsible. Why are you thinking about it?"

"Exactly." She peered at him knowingly; Cyborg realized he'd just been trapped, and he sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Yeah…I guess I fell right into that one, didn't I?"

Raven just smiled at him. Cyborg returned the gesture.

"Thanks, Rae," he said sincerely. "Guess I gotta learn to grin and bear this sort of thing now, huh?"

"Yes, you do. We all have to." She smiled again as she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Next time, you'll be ready for Parallax."

* * *

The sound of a clacking keyboard was highly prominent as Batgirl let herself into the Batcave.

"I scouted the entire city – everything looks clear for now." The young heroine came over to peer at what Bruce, his cowl hanging loose, was typing in. "What are you working on? 'Investigatory notes and profiles on members of the hero community'?" she read. "Bruce, are you running background checks on everyone?" she questioned.

"Maybe."

Batgirl sighed. "I'd say this is a breach of ethics, but you've always walked a grey line in issues like this." She leaned forward. "What do you have on the Titans?"

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Batgirl shrugged innocently. "I have a vested interest in them, as do you."

Bruce allowed himself a small, knowing smile. "Don't worry," he said. "Dick's in good hands." He turned back to the computer. "Besides, that's not the main reason I'm doing this."

"It's not?"

"No. I highly doubt we've seen the last of Parallax…" Batgirl scoffed. "…so we need to be ready when he shows up again."

"You won't get any argument from me," Batgirl concurred. "We were all over the place in Jump City. If that Orion guy hadn't appeared when he did, Parallax would probably have conquered Earth by now."

"Precisely," Bruce agreed. "We can't afford to be that disorganized the next time we face Parallax. We need a plan."

"So how do background checks fit in with all this?" Batgirl inquired.

"Each hero has specific abilities and skills," answered Bruce, bringing up Superman's profile as an example, "as well as certain physical weaknesses or limitations. Everyone has their forte and their Achilles' heel. Their backgrounds play into this – the place and circumstances a person comes from dictates what their psychological profile will be like, thus giving me a better picture of which hero is best suited to do what."

"Uh-huh," said Batgirl. "So what have you come up with?"

In response, Bruce clicked on a virtual diagram he had drawn up. "Parallax thrives on fear. He targets individuals who have bigger fears, or who are unable to keep a better grip on their fears. When he feeds on their fear, he grows stronger and more powerful."

"Right," agreed Batgirl. "Until he reaches a point where no matter how fearless someone is, he's just way too powerful to bring down."

"So the first step would be to confront Parallax with those who have no fear, or as close to no fear as possible."

"People like Green Lantern, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Katana," Batgirl realized. "Yeah, that makes sense."

"And while Parallax is concentrating on them, the others can converge on him from all sides. Parallax will try to siphon their fear, so the main idea is to tempt him with so many targets in various directions that he'll be confused about who to go for. That's when we can strike." While he spoke, the computer simulation played out on the screen.

"Nice," Batgirl commented. "But he won't stay confused for long. Sooner or later he'll pick someone and move in." She pointed at Raven's figure on the monitor, which the simulated Parallax was currently advancing towards. "So when we strike, we have to make sure it's a good one."

"I'm still working on an effective attack method," Bruce admitted. "No matter how powerful he is, Parallax must have some sort of limitation – a weakness we can use against him. Everybody does." He frowned as he clicked another file. "The problem is that there are still so many unknowns – variables that cannot be accounted for, incomplete profiles…without knowing more about people like Beast Boy, Raven, and Hawkgirl – or even the full extent of their abilities – it's difficult for me to figure out the best way to attack."

"How long do you reckon we have before Parallax comes back?" Batgirl asked.

"I can't say," Bruce replied. "That's another thing – he's very unpredictable…"

"Maybe Doctor Fate will have some ideas?" Batgirl suggested. "Or he could find out through his scrying."

"I've already spoken to him. He's looking into it – he said he'll call me when he knows something."

"Is there anything you _don't _think of?" Batgirl queried, half-admiringly.

"I like to cover my bases."

"Hmm…" Batgirl looked thoughtful. "I wonder…is there a way to lure Parallax where we want him to go? That way maybe we could avoid mass destruction like the scene in Jump City – and prevent Parallax from feeding on a bystander."

"That would be ideal," Bruce agreed, "but I can't figure out how to do it."

Batgirl smiled. "I can."


	21. Chapter Twenty: Waiting

_**A/N: Thanks to **Jess Marylin, Dextra2, **and **leathman **for reviewing.**  
_

_Timeline: February 2002 to March 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: Waiting **

"Kent! Get in here!"

Clark immediately rose from his swivel chair, exchanging a significant glance with Lois. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he made his way to Perry White's office with the air of a man walking into a lion's den.

"Yes, sir?" he asked politely.

Perry tossed today's copy of the _Metropolis Gazette_ – the _Daily Planet_'s rival –at him. "Front page," the editor-in-chief grunted.

Clark warily unfolded the inch-thick newspaper and surveyed the bold headline smattered across its front.

**_SUPERHEROES MEET IN SECRET_**

Below was typed a detailed and surprisingly accurate summary of the latest meeting between the members of the hero community, that had taken place just last week in Metropolis. Clark had thought the factory basement he'd chosen for their meeting was secluded, but the paparazzi – who had been keeping a sharp eye out ever since the disaster in Jump City – must have found them out. Fortunately, the article, despite taking up over two whole pages, said nothing about the meeting's agenda – the general public was still clearly unaware of the great threat of Parallax looming over all their heads. Still, Batman was going to read him the riot act for not choosing a more secure location.

"Oh, dear," he said, more to himself. Perry, however, mistook his meaning.

"Yes, _oh, dear_," echoed his irate employer. "How is it, Kent, that William Smith at the _Gazette _knows about this superhero meeting, but the _Planet _doesn't?"

"I honestly don't know, sir," Clark deflected.

"Yes, that's precisely the problem," Perry told him. "How can you _not _know? Weren't you the one who was researching the current happenings in the superhero community? I distinctly remember you digging around for information pertaining to that a couple of months back. I was under the impression you were keeping up to date with events."

"I was, sir – I mean, I am," Clark said earnestly; Perry would never know how true his statement was. "I really have no idea how I missed this."

Perry snorted inelegantly. "Well, whether you know or not, it cost the _Planet _the scoop of the month. I hope you'll know to do better in the future…?"

"Yes, sir," Clark agreed, nodding fervently.

"Oh, and in case it escapes your notice again, I'm assigning you and Lane to cover this." Perry picked up the _Gazette _again and folded it, then chucked it into the wastepaper basket in the corner of his office. "Things are stirring in the superhero community, and I want the story in our paper. Give me something that'll put Smith's article to shame."

"Yes, sir," came the dutiful reply.

Perry nodded. "Dismissed."

Clark gratefully ducked out, his mind whirring away as he walked back to his desk and sat down.

"Problem?" asked Lois, pausing her rapid typing for a moment.

"You could say that," Clark agreed. "Perry wants us to get the story on the meetings the superheroes have been holding."

Lois pursed her lips. "So?"

"Lois, I _can't _reveal what the meetings are about!" Clark protested. "The public would panic – and that's the worst thing that could happen."

"Right, because this Parallax entity feeds on fear," said Lois.

"Exactly." Clark sighed. "What are we going to do?"

Lois _tsk-_ed fondly. "You're a great hero, Smallville – but improvisation is not one of your best skills." She considered for a while. "Leave it to me. I'll give Perry his story without inciting mass hysteria."

"How are you going to do that?" Clark wondered.

"You've told me enough for me to piece together the overall picture. I'll fill in the blanks with 'logical hypotheses', and no one can complain if they turn out to be just a little short of the mark. The story will be, for the most part, factual – but who's to say I can't claim a little investigative license?"

"Lois, you're a lifesaver," Clark said gratefully.

"Yes, I know." She smiled as she returned to her typing.

* * *

"Hey, man, wait up!" called Ace Morgan as he hurried to catch up with Hal Jordan.

"Ace, buddy, what's up?" queried Hal, obligingly stopping midway down the corridor to wait for his friend.

"You tell me," said Ace, stopping beside Hal. "I've barely seen you around the past six months."

"Yeah…sorry about that – life's just gotten a whole lot busier for me. I don't have as much time as I'd like for myself."

"Why? What have you been doing?"

Hal mentally cringed. Thus far, he'd been relatively lucky in that he had mostly been able to escape the questions from his friends and coworkers concerning his whereabouts – but he should have known they'd eventually come up, especially after a two-week absence while he was finishing his training on Oa. Carol had _not _been happy about his abrupt departure, and extremely irked when he wouldn't tell her where he was going. She had refused to accept his close-lipped explanation that it was for 'personal reasons', and when he still wouldn't give in, she had snapped. Coldly, she'd told him that lately he'd been absent, both physically and mentally, and that his excuses for being so were weak. She had then declared that if he didn't trust her enough to tell her where he was going after almost three years together, he clearly didn't take their relationship seriously. Then she'd stalked off, plainly hurt beneath the anger and annoyance.

In her defense, Hal reflected ruefully, all her grievances were well and truly justified, for his Green Lantern duties took a sizeable chunk of time away from his schedule, and drained him both physically and mentally. But though he wanted things to be okay between him and Carol, he knew he couldn't possibly tell her about his double life as an intergalactic law enforcement agent – at least not yet. Nor could he mention any of it to Ace.

"Oh, you know…this and that," he replied vaguely. "It's a cumulative effect, really. So how are you?" he asked, changing the subject before Ace had the opportunity to dig deeper.

"Never better," Ace declared. "Met a girl a couple months back, and we've been dating since."

Hal raised an eyebrow and grinned suggestively. "Is it serious?"

"Not yet, but it feels like it's going there. Speaking of which, how're things with you and Carol?"

This time Hal did wince. "Carol and I…we're not exactly speaking to each other right now."

Ace peered at him in concern. "Oh, jeez – what happened?"

"We had a fight…she feels like I don't trust her, and she may be right." What else could he say?

"I'm sorry to hear that," Ace said, genuinely sympathetic. Then he shrugged bracingly. "But, hey – it's just a rocky patch. You'll get over it. It's not like it's the first time things went a little sour between you guys."

"Yeah," Hal agreed wryly. His constantly changing, on-again, off-again romance with Carol was common knowledge to everyone who knew either individual. It had defined both their love lives for the past three years, and their friends knew that while they may each casually date other people while they were 'broken up', neither actually took it seriously. Their relationship had actually been on fairly steady ground before Hal's unexpected recruitment into the Green Lantern Corps, and Hal had thought they might actually get serious – but then the power ring chose him, and the responsibilities and obligations it brought had placed divisions between him and Carol.

Ace bobbed his head supportively. "Hey, do you want to go get a drink?" he invited. "We haven't done that in a while."

"Sure," Hal assented readily. Carol would be coming in soon to check the specs of the latest test flight he had done, and he had no inclination to endure her frosty manner towards him at the moment.

* * *

Hawkgirl cursed in Thanagarian as a light charge of electricity coursed up her finger from the transistor she was working on.

"_Yom shigureth_," she swore, casting a dirty look at the offending wires.

Shayera Imez* had been stranded on Earth ever since an accident malfunction involving a wormhole generator and a lightspeed machine had thrown her halfway across the galaxy. She had arrived on Earth in the year 1998, and upon discovering the activities of the human heroes, she had taken it upon herself to support them in their noble endeavors by becoming Hawkgirl. It wasn't that different from what she did on Thanagar, anyway.

Hawkgirl lived a nomadic life, migrating from place to place as the urge moved her. Her policies in hero work were simple and straightforward: if you see a crime, thwart it, knock the perpetrators unconscious (or nearly unconscious) and deliver them to the police. Then move on. She had actually begun to form a sort of routine, even make some friends among the Earthlings – Flash was a notable example. This alliance between several different heroes against a big threat was new for her, yet also oddly reminiscent; it reminded her of her Thanagarian military unit back home.

Still, through it all, Hawkgirl was still determined to find a way to re-establish contact with Thanagar, and whatever spare time she had was generally spent on modifying any and all devices of communication she could get her hands on.

Yet at the same time, she was also aware that she had found a new, sort-of home on Earth, and if Parallax thought he could take that away from her, he was sadly mistaken. She would show him the full wrath of a Thanagarian soldier, no matter her fears.

And that was why for once, the gadget she was working on was not another attempt to contact home – it was instead an apparatus that would, hopefully, help them defeat Parallax.

An Earth saying that Hawkgirl had taken to be her motto came to mind.

"When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

* * *

In a small house in the town of Southside** in New York State, two old friends sat at a table, with cups of steaming herbal tea between them.

"I'm worried," Tatsu Yamashiro admitted. Across the table, Jefferson Pierce nodded in agreement.

"So am I," he said. He then smiled dryly. "I suppose, as long as we're not afraid, worried is good."

Tatsu set her teacup down. "You have seen the alliance in action more than I," she said. "Do you think we have a chance against a being like Parallax?"

"We always have a chance," Jefferson replied. "I actually have high hopes."

"High hopes can be dangerous," Tatsu noted.

"True," Jefferson conceded, "but don't the Japanese also put some faith in the power of positive visualization?"

Tatsu's lip twitched. "Some. I, however, have learned the hard way not to hope too much." She picked up her cup again, turning contemplative. "You and I are among the oldest in the alliance, as well as the most experienced. We know what we're doing, and I have no doubt that people like Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman do too. However, I am concerned about the young ones – Flash, Batgirl, the Teen Titans…They may not yet have the focus to fight a big battle such as this – and that could prove detrimental."

"Flash and Batgirl are hardly novices," Jefferson pointed out. "Nor is Nightwing. The other four Titans are new to us, I grant you – but who are we to say that they have not seen their fair share of fighting?"

"This is different. Parallax feeds on fear. The young people might not have the right mindset to resist him." Tatsu looked Jefferson directly in the eye. "I do not want to see the younger generation dying before their time."

"Tatsu, I think you worry too much. They might be kids, but they wouldn't have gone into the hero business if they didn't know what they were doing."

"Are you truly that convinced that all will be well?" Tatsu inquired curiously.

"I am," said Jefferson.

Just then a rapid beeping sounded in both their ears. Both friends lifted their fingers to their comm. links to listen to the message.

_"Parallax has appeared in New Mexico," _Batman's voice informed them. _"Everyone get to Albuquerque as soon as you can and wait for us to gather. Do _not _engage him on your own."_

Tatsu and Jefferson exchanged glances, their faces grim.

"Let's see if your optimism is well-founded," Tatsu commented.

Then Katana and Black Lightning raced out the door, propelled by the latter's electricity bolts on the way to New Mexico.

* * *

_***Hawkgirl's name has been changed from Shayera Hol to Shayera Imez, for reasons which will become clear in a future story.**_

_****In the comics, Southside was a burrough of Metropolis; in Diamond Earth, Southside and Metropolis are separate cities, both in New York State.  
**_

_**A/N: I look forward to your reviews :)**_


	22. Chapter TwentyOne: Resistance

_**A/N: Thanks to **leathman, Dextra2, **and **Jess Marylin **for reviewing.**  
_

_Timeline: March 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One: Resistance**

Superman and Flash, predictably, were the first ones on site, closely followed by Wonder Woman and Hawkgirl, who were portalled in by Doctor Fate. Zatanna appeared with J'onn not long after Fate vanished to teleport Green Arrow, Black Canary, and Speedy. The aforementioned trio from Star City showed up at the same time Raven transported the Titans.

"Who are we missing?" Superman wondered as he counted heads.

"Katana and Black Lightning are on their way, as is Green Lantern," answered J'onn.

"Batman and Batgirl are en route in the Batplane," Zatanna supplied.

"The governor has already warned people to stay at home," Green Arrow said. "That should keep them out of Parallax's way."

"I hope he didn't instill panic," Wonder Woman fretted.

"Don't worry – I know Governor Morris," Arrow responded. "He's a good man, and he knows how to keep his head in a crisis. The good citizens of Albuquerque are under the impression that a dust storm is blowing, and they've been advised to keep indoors. It's a regular occurrence for them – nothing for them to be worried about."

"It's also very convenient, seeing how the last time we saw Parallax, he looked sort of like a dark cloud," Flash pointed out.

Green Arrow smiled. "I told you he was good."

"Wait – how much does Morris know about Parallax?" Superman asked in some concern.

Green Arrow shrugged. "I had to tell him it was _not _a dust storm as soon as it became clear that Parallax was heading for Albuquerque. But I may have downplayed the threat level a bit."

"What do you mean by 'a bit'?" Zatanna inquired suspiciously.

"Morris is under the impression that Parallax is a new villain who'll be taken out relatively easily." Incredulous stares met his explanation. "Well, I didn't want him to _panic_," he defended. "Considering the circumstances, that would be bad."

"What's the ETA for Parallax?" Nightwing questioned, looking at Raven.

"Five minutes, give or take."

"But we're not confronting him until everyone's here," Wonder Woman said firmly.

"How do you plan to do that?" Cyborg queried. "You saw what happened last time – even if the citizens aren't scared, he'll sense _us_."

"Just hide," Doctor Fate instructed. "Keep him at bay for as long as you can. And whatever you do, do _not _let yourselves feel afraid."

* * *

"Batman!" Batgirl called from her position in front of the console aboard the Batplane. "Parallax has reached Albuquerque."

"The others can handle him first." Batman pushed down on the throttle of the aircraft, deliberately maintaining a course in a direction _opposite _Albuquerque.

"Don't you think you should at least warn them what we're doing?" Batgirl asked. "Just so they know to carry on without us?"

"Superman knows." Batman decelerated the plane as the headquarters of S.T.A.R. Labs came into view.

* * *

When Parallax arrived in Albuquerque, he found an empty town. The regular citizens were safely ensconced in their homes, and the heroes had hidden themselves well.

Unfortunately for them, Parallax could sniff out even the slightest bit of fear. It was Starfire who unintentionally gave the game away, the memory of the horrors in Jump City breaking through her warrior's control. Parallax sensed it and immediately seized on it, advancing to where Starfire was hidden.

A surge of electricity streaked between Starfire and Parallax, preventing the fearmonger from feeding on the alien girl's distress. From beside Black Lightning, Katana shot her soul-taking sword straight into the abyss of Parallax's cloudy form. The fallen Guardian, realizing that Katana's blade was the one weapon that could kill him, dodged the sword and, with a yellow beam of pure will, shot it far across the sandy landscape. With the threat removed, Parallax turned back to his prey – but Starfire, Black Lightning, and Katana had all disappeared.

A ghost-like mouth formed on the writhing mass of the villain, and Parallax smiled eerily. It had been a long time since he'd had the chance to play for his food; most of the beings he fed off offered no resistance whatsoever – people just had no concept of confronting their fears. But Parallax remembered draining the Green Lanterns during the time of his rising, almost a thousand years ago. They had been trained to ignore their fear, but as Parallax knew, unless confronted, fear was never gone. He remembered breaking through their wills and gaining access to the delicious terror that filled their hearts, and he recalled how triumphant it had been to break the Lanterns. It would be sweet to repeat that here, and to feel once again the sense of absolute power when he conquered his resistors.

**"Very well," **he said menacingly, moving down the deserted street, making sure that the hidden heroes could hear him. **"I will play your game. And when I win, you will die."**

* * *

Batman crept through the building until he reached the area he knew the meteorite from Mongolia was being kept. He only needed a moment with it for his objective to be accomplished.

The hallway and doors leading to the meteorite were, predictably, well-guarded by Cadmus security, most of them ex-military or former law enforcement. Nevertheless, Batman stole past them with little trouble, using the long shadows in this part of the building to his advantage.

The final door that opened into the meteorite chamber itself was the most difficult. Batman had to subdue the four guards posted there with knockout gas before opening the door.

As he expected, the meteorite, huge and pitted with dozens of tiny potholes, lay inside, monitored by several high-tech machines. Batman walked over to it and pulled a radiation scanner from his utility belt. After using it to detect the highest levels of dimensional anomalies on the meteorite, he replaced it and withdrew a circular device about the size of his palm. This he rested against the point of most deviance on the meteorite, until a blue light blinked on the gadget and a mechanical voice informed him, _"Dimensional signature registered."_

His job done, Batman kept the device back in his belt and snuck out the way he came.

* * *

Parallax was busy trying to drain Speedy, Black Canary, and Flash all at once when Green Lantern arrived. He quickly took steps – Parallax got only a fraction of the fear he had inspired in his three victims before he was blasted a good distance away by Hal's power ring.

"What the heck is going on here?" Green Lantern demanded, retreating to rendezvous with the rest of the heroes.

"We've been trying to keep him at bay until you showed up," Black Canary informed him. "We can't implement Batman's plan without everyone."

"The wait's over," said Superman. "At my signal, we'll put the strategy into action."

"What about Batman and Batgirl?" Beast Boy queried.

"They'll be here later – they're working on something to give us more of an edge."

"You couldn't have told us that earlier?" Black Lightning asked in disbelief.

"Would it have made any difference?"

"Okay, enough talking," Zatanna interjected, as an enraged roar echoed from wherever Parallax had landed. "I don't know about you guys, but I am sick of trying _not _to be scared. Are we doing this or not?"

Superman nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

_**A/N: Right, so that was a little short, but tomorrow's chapter will be longer, I promise you ;)**_


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo: Fear Itself

_**A/N: Wow, just two reviewers today. Thanks, **leathman **and **Dextra2**.**  
_

_Timeline: March 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Fear Itself**

The attack began as planned. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Doctor Fate, Katana, and Black Lightning – all experienced heroes (except Green Lantern) who knew how to confront their inner fears and then lock them away in order to get on with the job – made up the frontline, deliberately pushing themselves forward from their comrades and edging closer to Parallax. Parallax, sensing no tangible traces of fear from any of them, tried to bypass them to go for easier pickings in the others, but the six front liners wouldn't let him. Without the disadvantage of Parallax feeding off their fears, they were able to keep him from targeting the other, more vulnerable, heroes.

Parallax, however, seemed only more viciously pleased by this in some twisted way, as evidenced by the frightening grin on his insubstantial face. Upon finding that the six leaders would not let him reach the others, he turned the full force of his formidable powers solely on them, one by one.

Katana was the first to experience Parallax's mind-blowing influence. Images flashed through her head; she saw her husband, Takeo, and his brother Maseo fighting, engaged in a ferocious battle to the death over her; she saw her twin children die, engulfed in the flames started by that ill-starred duel; she relived her days of grief and mourning, and the horror of discovering the power of the Soultaker.

Doctor Fate was next; Parallax forced him to recall his great terror when, as a child of six, he had accidentally killed his father upon releasing a poisonous gas from an ancient Egyptian tomb, leaving him alone, frightened, and horrified in a dark, eerie crypt. His secret claustrophobia ever since that incident was also to Parallax's advantage – the ruthless fearmonger created a vision of a narrow tomb that encased the wizard.

Black Lightning, too, was taken back to his childhood. He remembered living in Southside in the 70s, always afraid of the gangsters and criminals that gave the town its nickname of 'Suicide Slum'. He remembered how, as a boy, he would always clutch his bag tightly to his chest as he walked to school, and how the slightest unfamiliar face would make him run for the hills. He remembered being terrified that people would target him because he was black, and how afraid he was when he learned his father had been killed by one of the many crooks who lurked in the town's dark underworld.

Wonder Woman was whisked back to 1967, when Steve Trevor received the order to report for service in the Vietnam War and she began to be scared that she would lose him. Her worry for him then, and her all-encompassing fear for his life when he went missing, assaulted her in full force once again. And then, further back, to 1960, when a horrific demon from Hades itself had singled her out when she first came to Man's World with Steve – she remembered being petrified at the very sight of it, having never seen one before.

Superman found his head invaded by pictures of all those he cared about most in his life – Lois, Jimmy, Ma Kent – that unlocked his deep-seated, ever-present fears of one or all of them being targeted by villains because of him; or worse, getting hurt because he lost control of his powers. Parallax was not content to stop there, either – he dug deeper, unearthing the Man of Steel's memories of his sojourn to the 31st century early in his career, and the Legion of Superheroes. Superman recalled the gut-gnawing fright he had felt upon learning that some unspeakable (and unelaborated) things would happen in his own time.

Green Lantern was harder than the others – the man truly did have an iron will – but Parallax was still able to unleash the crippling panic the then-inexperienced Air Force pilot had undergone during the days of the Somali Civil War.

Remarkably, to their credit, the six heroes, despite faltering, stood firm, finding the strength to overcome their inner demons once more and dispel the illusions Parallax had created. But their momentary lapse was enough for Parallax to pass them and trail towards Beast Boy, who was clearly scared, yet determined to be brave. In any other situation, his courage would have been commendable – but here, anything short of complete fearlessness meant power for Parallax. The changeling Titan's fear called to him, and the yellow-grey cloud moved in accordance.

"Parallax!"

The villain turned, sensing another, far more tempting morsel in the form of the half-demon girl Raven. In her attempt to distract him from Beast Boy (and follow the plan), she had discarded her usual control over her emotions, instead allowing everything she was frightened of, and all the fear she was feeling from the others, to induce an irresistible treat for Parallax.

When Parallax was distracted from Raven by yet another person thrusting their fear into his face (J'onn), he became aware that something was amiss. Yet the amount of power he had used to break through the front six's defenses meant he had to replenish himself, and, driven by the yellow impurity that burned deep within, he instinctively reached out for whoever was the best source, no matter that it delayed him from his feeding. For all his power, Krona was but a slave to the properties of the yellow source of fear he had melded with all those years ago – properties that caused the cosmic force to seek that which would be most beneficial to its purpose.

Nevertheless, the former Guardian of Oa had another force at his disposal – will – and once he realized what was happening, he reined in his instinctive inclinations and used his intellect to destroy the plan that had been so carefully laid out.

Parallax refused to be tempted by Flash (who was purposely calling to the forefront of his mind the time when lightning had mixed with chemicals and hit him, and he'd thought he was going to die) and instead fixed his goal, once again, on Raven. He moved towards her with deliberate motions, and refused to be distracted by the other Titans – who all tried their hardest to draw him away.

When it became clear that their distract-and-evade plan was no longer working, Raven slammed her writhing emotions back under rigid control. Parallax growled slightly as the temptation of Raven's fear all but vanished – but he knew it was there, and he did not falter in his movement.

"All right, that's it," Green Lantern declared, rising into the air behind Raven. Nearby, Starfire and Zatanna did the same.

"On my count," Green Lantern said. "One, two three!"

They all three attacked. Starfire unleashed a continuous, uninterrupted beam of pure solar energy from her hands. Zatanna conjured fireball after fireball and threw them into Parallax. Green Lantern created a massive curved shield that literally cupped the villainous cloud, blocking Parallax from his prey. Raven saw her chance and shouted, _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"_ and a burst of dark energy from her body penetrated the cloud.

As other heroes joined in, adding their own volleys to the joint attack, Parallax, ever cunning, noticed that while they were attacking him physically, they were letting their mental guards down. They were not thinking of their fears, but since they were no longer putting enough effort into blocking him, they didn't need to. With a triumphant roar, Parallax writhed, casting dark tendrils into each hero's body and sucking any trace of fear he could find.

They struggled to get their emotions under control. By the time they managed it, Parallax had replenished himself – and more. The heroes were all forcefully blasted in different directions as Parallax traveled towards the heart of the city – by now the citizens knew that this was _not _a dust storm and would be sufficiently afraid for him to drain them. Once he had fed on every person in this city, he would have enough power to make Earth his host.

A low rumble signaled the approach of the Batplane. Green Arrow looked up accusingly as Batman and Batgirl landed.

"Where _were _you?" the archer demanded.

Batman didn't deign to reply. He looked around and deduced, "The plan didn't work."

Speedy snorted. "Some plan," he said. "We just got our butts handed to us, and now Parallax is off to drain the citizens."

"You'd better have a damn good reason for disappearing on us," Nightwing agreed, ignoring the warning glare Batgirl was sending him.

"I need my sword," Katana said suddenly. "Parallax threw it away – it must be a threat to him."

Batman's eyes narrowed. "The Soultaker?"

"The very same."

A light seemed to come on in the Dark Knight's head. "New plan," he announced. He brought out the circular device he'd used on the meteorite. "This is what I was working on while you were fighting," he explained. "It's a dimensional transporter – a combination of Earth, Martian, and Thanagarian technology. I broke into S.T.A.R. Labs and used it on the meteorite from Mongolia –"

"Why would S.T.A.R. Labs have the meteorite?" Green Arrow interrupted.

"Not important right now," Batgirl reminded him.

"As I was saying, I had to use it on the meteorite to get a lock on the dimensional signature of Parallax's prison," continued Batman. "When the transporter is activated, it will teleport whatever is in its way back to the same dimension."

"In other words, we can send Parallax back where he came from," Batgirl summarized.

"Where does Katana's sword come into this?" Black Lightning asked.

"The Soultaker is the only weapon we have that will work against Parallax," Batman replied. "If it stabs him, the sword will take his very essence and suck it into itself. Katana can then release Parallax's soul into the transporter beam, and Parallax will be imprisoned again."

"In the same meteorite," Wonder Woman noted. "What's to stop him from escaping again?"

"Simple. The meteorite will be destroyed. I'll personally make sure of it."

"We have to get Parallax away from the city," said Black Canary. "If he gets too powerful, there's no way we'll get close enough to stab him with Katana's sword."

"Provided we can even find it," Hawkgirl put in.

Batman started sketching in the sand with a stick. "We'll draw him to the skies. The majority of us will keep him busy there while the others look for Katana's sword. When we find it, someone can take it and throw it into Parallax. That's all we need to do."

"Easier said than done," Cyborg observed dubiously.

"Do you have a better idea?"

Superman sighed. "All right – Flash, Katana, Nightwing, and Black Canary will look for the sword; the rest of us will fight him in the sky."

"Not all of us can fly, you know," Speedy pointed out.

"We'll work something out," Raven promised "Your arrows will be useful."

"Settled?" Superman asked. "All right." He looked at them all. "Let's go."

The heroes nodded and dispersed to do their jobs…and save the world. Batman turned to hop back into his plane, but Superman stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Bruce. Are you sure about this?"

"No."

* * *

_**A/N: We are very close to the end now...just two more chapters to go!**_


	24. Chapter TwentyThree: Soul Taker

_**A/N: Thanks, **Jess Marylin, leathman, **and **JDP95 **for reviewing!**  
_

_Timeline: March 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Soul Taker**

"Where is it, where is it, _where is it_?" Flash muttered as he zoomed across the sandy terrain, searching in vain for Katana's Soultaker. As he passed by Black Canary, the beautiful bird scowled at him.

"Stop that," she ordered. "How do you expect us to find the sword if you keep raising clouds of dust every time you pass?"

Flash skidded to a stop, creating an even bigger dust cloud as a light bulb flickered on in his head. He snapped his fingers. "That's it!" he exclaimed.

"What's it?" Nightwing asked, sweeping aside a layer of sand with his booted foot and turning up nothing.

"Look, the sword's probably under a layer or two of sand by now, right?"

"Right."

"So if I go around and create whirlwinds to raise the dust, we'll be able to see better."

"That's going to take a lot of time," Canary said dubiously. "We have no idea where Parallax threw the sword."

"Do we have a choice?" Flash asked as he sped off.

Meanwhile, up in the sky, Parallax was doing his best to get past a frontline composed of Superman, Wonder Woman, J'onn, Hawkgirl, and Doctor Fate. It was proving to be more difficult than he had anticipated, especially because Speedy and Green Arrow were shooting all sorts of arrows at him from their position on Raven's floating platform of energy. Zatanna had given Black Lightning a spell to help him stay in the air, and he was firing electricity straight into Parallax's form. Cyborg, propelled by rocket boosters from his cybernetic feet/shoes, was shooting bolt after bolt of blue plasma. Being more smoke than substance, Parallax wasn't particularly affected by these attacks; what he was more concerned about was the fact that he couldn't return to the ground level to continue feasting.

The reason for this was simple: Green Lantern had constructed a huge, glowing, green protection dome over the entire eastern part of the city that prevented Parallax from feeding on the citizens' fears. The Lantern was now maintaining the shield by the sheer force of his will – which Krona had to admit was impressive – but this meant that he could not spare his concentration on anything else. It was the other, unoccupied, heroes who were the problem. And Parallax was getting tired of the game.

**"You will not stop me," **he said angrily. **"I _will _have Earth, as I had its predecessors."**

As the heroes watched, tendrils of yellow energy seeped out from the center of the cloud, coalescing into numerous, large, yellow beetle-like creatures with clicking pincers and long, thin legs. They had no wings, but were able to hover and move in the air easily.

Incidentally, they were also a highly efficient attack force. There were easily enough bugs to outnumber the heroes three to one, and they swarmed over them, leaving Parallax somewhat less beleaguered than before. Now unhindered, the great mass of darkness moved against Green Lantern's domed shield with all its force. Hal groaned and strained, bracing his arm with his free hand, trying his hardest to keep Parallax at bay.

"Hang on, GL!" Flash called, just before he renewed his efforts to locate Katana's missing sword.

"There!" Katana called suddenly, catching the glint of metal amidst all the sand Flash had stirred up.

"I'm on it!" Flash raced around to where Katana was pointing, but just before he could reach the sword, Parallax roared and Flash found himself in the middle of the forest. "What the –?"

"Flash!" he heard Nightwing's voice yell, as if from far away. "What are you doing? Get the sword!"

_Right, _Flash thought to himself. _We need the sword. _He blinked, disoriented, at the close-set trees and the carpet of green. _But where the heck am I?_

* * *

The team in the sky soon found out that the golden beetles, unlike Parallax, were solid and, therefore, destructible. The main problem was their sheer number – they far outnumbered the heroes, and were not without prowess of their own. Their pincers were razor sharp, their legs abnormally strong, and they were _fast_. They darted in and out everywhere, and maneuvered their way expertly through the sky, making life difficult for the heroes.

"Why is Flash just standing there?" Green Arrow demanded, shooting two bugs at once from his position on Raven's platform.

"Parallax must be messing with his mind," Raven replied. She did not elaborate; it was taking all her concentration to stay focused on two fronts – one side to keep Green Arrow and Speedy in the air, the other to combat the yellow bugs herself.

A little overhead, the Batplane glided, dropping mini-bombs and firing lasers on the enemy. "We need that sword!" Batgirl cried.

"We need to distract Parallax," J'onn added, punching out another beetle. "I don't think Green Lantern can keep him out much longer." He pointed below; the green shield had cracks running all throughout its surface. Lantern was straining to hold it up, his arm trembling with the effort.

Superman, using his heat vision, sliced at least ten bugs in half before diving down to attract Parallax's attention with a gust of freeze breath.

Parallax growled at him, furious, but spared him no attention otherwise. With a final push, he broke through Green Lantern's force field and streamed into the city, leaving the Lantern himself unconscious.

* * *

Nightwing made his way to where Flash was still standing unawares and snapped his fingers in front of the speedster's face. "Wally, come on, buddy – snap out of it!"

Flash jumped violently; Nightwing was not in the forest he thought he was in. "Dick? Where are you?"

"I'm right in front of your face."

"You…what?" Flash blinked, slowly dispelling the illusion Parallax had created. He looked slightly apprehensive about how well the evil Guardian had messed with his head. "I didn't know he could do that."

"Neither did I. Come on – the sword's disappeared again."

"What?" Flash looked down at the sand. "But it was _right there_!"

"Parallax must have tossed it somewhere else. We've gotta find it _fast_."

* * *

Starfire suddenly departed from the battle in the sky, leaving the others to fight off the rest of the bugs as she parked herself directly in front of Parallax's advancing form.

**"Foolish girl," **he said disdainfully. **"I will drain your fear and move on."**

"I shall give you something to drain." Starfire brought her hands together and a large glowing starbolt grew between them. "Feed on this!" And she hurled the starbolt straight into Parallax's open maw.

To the villain's immense astonishment, the green starbolt sank straight into the center of his mass, dispersing its light all over the roiling yellow surface. Parallax's dark tendrils instinctively shrank back into the main part of the cloud.

Starfire fired another starbolt at him. "My starbolts are the product of righteous fury – an opposite of the fear that feeds you. Therefore, they have a negative effect on you." In went another volley of starbolts.

Batman noticed what she was doing. "Raven!" he called as the Batplane passed by the empath. "Help Starfire! We need to buy some time!"

"What about Green Arrow and Speedy?"

"I'll take over," Doctor Fate volunteered, using a spell to dissolve two bugs. Raven nodded, and her dark field disappeared just as Fate replaced it with a purplish platform for the two archers.

* * *

"I've got it!" Black Canary exclaimed, grabbing the sword by the hilt before it could be taken away again. "Katana, catch!"

"No, wait!" Flash cried, grabbing her arm. "We don't want it to disappear again. It's safer in someone's hands than in the air."

"Batman, we have the sword," Nightwing reported through his comlink, watching Starfire and Raven keep Parallax at bay with starbolts and empathic telekinesis – both derived from emotions that Parallax couldn't control.

_"Katana, you know what to do," _Batman's voice said.

Katana ran over and took her sword from Black Canary. "Lightning!" she yelled.

Black Lightning heard and sheathed the Soultaker in electricity as Katana threw it with all her might at Parallax.

* * *

_**A/N: Cue dramatic music ;) **_

_**One more chapter to go, folks!  
**_


	25. Chapter TwentyFour: League Of Their Own

_**A/N: Right, here we go with the usual shout-outs - thanks to **Dextra2, leathman, **and **Jess Marylin **for reviewing last chapter. Extra th****anks to **leathman **for reviewing every single chapter and **Jess Marylin **for reviewing all but one. I****t's been a pleasure to read all your comments :D**  
_

_**So, here's the last chapter. You ready?  
**_

_Timeline: March 2002_

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four: A League of Their Own**

The Soultaker, propelled by the lightning sizzling around it, struck true. Penetrating far into the middle of Parallax's cloud-shape, it sank straight into the yellow impurity that gave Parallax his power.

With a howl of rage – and yes, fear – Parallax disappeared instantly, his smoke-like form sucked into the blade of the Soultaker. At the same time, the remaining bugs hovering in the air disintegrated, no longer bound by Parallax's will. For an instant, the Soultaker glowed vibrantly yellow, before conceding to gravity's demands and falling to the ground. Following it into the sand was the yellow impurity of fear, now separated from Krona's soul and coalesced into an irregular shape, neither solid nor gas, that pulsed with manic energy.

It took a minute for everyone to realize that they had just defeated Parallax.

"Did we just…win?" Beast Boy, currently an eagle, breathed.

"I think we did," Speedy agreed.

One by one, the heroes cautiously approached the site where the Soultaker and the glowing yellow impurity had landed, leaving hard imprints in the sand. The Batplane was the last to land. Batman hopped out of the cockpit and took the dimensional transporter from his belt.

"Katana, the honor is yours."

Katana nodded and gingerly picked up her sword.

"Do you know what you're doing?" queried Green Lantern – he'd regained consciousness just in time to see the Soultaker taking Parallax down. Katana just gave him a look and GL backed away submissively.

"I'm ready," Katana said to Batman.

"Everyone stand back," the Dark Knight warned; obediently, they took a few steps away. Batman tossed the transporter to the ground, right next to the yellow impurity. Instantly, the impurity vanished in a burst of continuous blue-white streaks of light.

Katana picked up her cue. Wrapping her arms firmly around the hilt of the Soultaker in just the right way, and positioning it directly in front of the transporter beam, she intoned, _"Watakushi houmen anata" _– which, in Japanese, means "I release you."

A sickly yellow, vaguely humanoid shape poured out from the Soultaker's blade and was sucked away at once by the transporter beam. A moment later, the beam disappeared.

"I guess celebrations are in order." Green Lantern looked around, a wide grin on his face. "We just saved the world."

That was when it truly registered that they had, in fact, succeeded in stopping the greatest menace Earth had ever encountered – and they were all still alive to tell of it. For a long time after that, there was nothing but triumphant smiles, relieved laughs, and playful banter.

* * *

Amanda Waller frowned, putting her pen down as she heard the faintest swish of a cape. She stared into the shadows that her powerful table lamp did not chase away; she couldn't see him, but she knew he was there.

"You're making a habit of this, Batman." She pursed her lips. "I suppose I should congratulate you."

Batman had not come out of the shadows enough for her to make out anything more than the dark outline of his cape – but Waller could practically _hear_ his eyes narrowing as he glared at her. She scoffed.

"You didn't think it would stay quiet, did you? The citizens of Albuquerque may have been on lockdown in their homes, but they still have windows. You should know better than to think something like that wouldn't go public. And even if it didn't, Cadmus has eyes everywhere."

Batman grunted noncommittally and finally came forward into the light – the pattern of light and dark on his caped costume made him look even more like an avenging crusader. "I thought you might like to know that Parallax has been sent back where he came from."

Waller raised an eyebrow, knowing perfectly well what he was implying. "I presume it was you who broke into S.T.A.R. Labs this afternoon?"

"You can presume what you like. I strongly advise destroying that meteorite as soon as possible."

Waller leaned back in her chair as she crossed her arms. "Why would I need to do that? By all accounts, you lot defeated Parallax pretty thoroughly."

"Maybe," Batman conceded. "But I still recommend destroying the meteorite. Otherwise, if Parallax escapes again, it's on you."

He vanished into the darkness again, but his voice lingered, conveying one last message, lightly imbued with a subtle yet definite threat.

"And Waller, just remember – you're not the only one with eyes and ears."

Then he was truly gone, as swiftly as he'd appeared.

Waller stared thoughtfully into the gloom for a while before picking up the phone that sat on her desk.

* * *

The sun shone down bright and cheery on Metropolis, casting brilliant golden rays on every part of the city, including the large, spacious baseball stadium in the northern sector. Superman (after a severe lecture from Batman about the importance of secrecy) had opted to hold the final meeting of the superhero alliance (for purposes of debriefing) here because the baseball season did not start for another three weeks, and so no one would have any reason to visit the stadium.

Superman looked around at the faces of his allies as they arrived. Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Flash, Hawkgirl, Batgirl, Doctor Fate, Zatanna, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Speedy, Nightwing, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Katana, and Black Lightning – these were the heroes who had banded together to fight first a coalition of supervillains, then Darkseid, then Parallax – they had put aside their differences and persevered through the great crisis – they had truly come together as one, and they had saved the whole world, and possibly the galaxy as well. They had accomplished something truly marvelous, and in the process, they had become not just individual superheroes working separate campaigns against crime and injustice, but a team committed to the betterment of the world. Superman thought it a shame that after today, they would all go their separate ways, and would no longer meet each other again the way they had been the past few months.

When everyone had gathered on the grassy pitch, cleared his throat and began.

"Thank you all for coming to meet together one last time," he said, his every word ringing with sincerity – no one could ever fault Superman's empathy. "We've all been through a lot in the past few months – some more so than others. I think we can all agree that Parallax was the single greatest threat any of us has ever faced before."

He looked around with a twinkle in his eyes; there were chuckles and murmurs of fervent assent, even a "Hell, yeah!" from Cyborg.

Superman continued, "But Parallax also made us come together in a way superheroes never have before, and in teaming up to defeat him, we discovered something very important. We discovered that we all share the same cause: to protect the innocents and safeguard what we can of the world. In that, we are all united." He smiled. "It's been my honor, and my pleasure, to be able to share that with you all, even for a little while."

"Hey, the honor's all ours." Zatanna grinned at him. "How many people can say they've worked with the Man of Steel?"

A general chorus of laughs answered her comment.

"We were only doing what we knew was right," Katana said. "Black Lightning and I" – she gestured at the lightning-wielder – "have been heroes for a long time, but much as we would like to, we know we can't do it forever. So it is nice to know that there are others to carry on our work."

"You're making me feel old, Katana," Black Lightning complained jokingly.

"But she is right," Raven interjected. She gazed around their little group, uncharacteristically serious. "Earth is my home, but for the majority of my life I wasn't even living on it. When I came back last year and found that Parallax was here, I thought it was the end. But you gave me hope." She smiled a small little smile, sharing a glance with her Titan teammates. "Knowing that there are people who have the ability and the intent to stand up to those that would see evil has given me more happiness than I've had in a long time."

"Rae, you gotta learn to talk like a normal person," Beast Boy teased. "You're one of us now, too, after all."

"I agree with her, though," added Wonder Woman. "My fondest memories are of the years I spent with the Justice Society, and it is good to know that the heroes of today can continue to carry on that tradition. Isn't it, Fate?"

"Indeed," Doctor Fate concurred. No one could see his smile under his helmet, but his tone of voice conveyed it perfectly nevertheless.

Superman, however, was thinking of something else entirely. Wonder Woman's passing mention of the JSA had switched on a light in his head. He didn't know much about the Society at all, but…_why not?_ he thought.

"You know, it would be a shame for us to go back to the way we were before all this," he remarked, seemingly nonchalantly. Batman wasn't fooled by his casual tone; the Dark Knight turned to peer at him suspiciously through the white lenses of his cowl. Superman deliberately ignored it.

"There's nothing wrong with how we were working before," commented Black Canary, exchanging a glance with Green Arrow. "But I do admit, it just won't be the same."

"We achieved a new level," Arrow agreed.

"Why don't we make this arrangement sort of permanent?" Superman proposed. All heads swiveled to him; Batman's eyes narrowed further.

"What do you mean?" Batgirl asked.

"We already know we work well as a team," said Superman. "Why don't we actually form one?"

"A team of superheroes?" Speedy asked.

"It's working well for the Titans," Superman pointed out; Nightwing and the other Titans inclined their heads in acknowledgment. "But we can't rely on them alone – they're talented, but young."

"But they pack a punch." Batgirl smiled at Nightwing.

"That they do," Superman chuckled. "My point is, if the five of them can do something like that –"

"Six," Flash corrected, patting his chest proudly.

"Since when have you been a Teen Titan?" Hawkgirl wondered.

"I'm an unofficial member."

"_Very _unofficial," Speedy muttered with a smirk.

Flash pointedly did not look at him. "Continue, Supes."

"Right, well – if they can do it, why shouldn't we?"

"You really think it could work?" Zatanna looked around. "All of us together in a team?"

"It's a big commitment," Batman put in, still eyeing Superman intently.

"But a worthy one." Wonder Woman caught Superman's eye. "If you're serious about this, Superman, I'm with you."

"Me too," said Green Lantern, stepping forward slightly.

"I owe you my freedom," J'onn spoke up, looking at Superman and Batman. "It would be an honor to repay the favor as your teammate."

There was a short silence; all of them knew that this was the time to decide if they would form a team or not. They sensed that this was the start of something big – something that would likely have a huge impact on the world. It was not a decision to rush into or take lightly.

"Why not?" Hawkgirl shrugged, breaking the stillness. "I've got nothing else to do."

"You already know where we stand," Nightwing said to Superman. "But if you ever need help, you can count on the Titans."

"Honestly, I think you guys can handle this without me," said Green Arrow. "I've had my run as a hero – I'm helping people in other ways now." Black Canary squeezed his hand.

"Ditto," she put in. Then she added, "But like Nightwing said – if you ever need me, I'll still be around."

"I'm sort of supposed to be taking a break from hero work right now." Speedy exchanged a significant look with Green Arrow. "Besides, no offense – but if I ever do join a team, it'll probably be the Titans."

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you'll be welcome?"

"Don't start, Bird Boy." Speedy glanced at Flash, who seemed to be debating within himself – torn between two decisions, if the way he was vibrating was anything to go by. "Oh, just go on, Flash. I know you're dying to."

The Scarlet Speedster looked stricken. "But I'm with the Titans." However, his longing gaze in the direction of the five heroes who had agreed to form the new team told a different story.

"It's okay, Flash," Nightwing assured him. "I never really thought you'd stay with us for long, anyway – I just wanted the chance to work with you again." His tone was understanding. "Besides, you'd be more suited for this team."

Flash beamed. "Really? Thanks!" In the blink of an eye, he'd zipped over to stand next to Hawkgirl. "Count me in."

"Katana and I will opt out," said Black Lightning. "It's like she said – we can't do this kind of thing forever, and we're nearing the end of our run." He smiled ruefully. "I hate to admit it, but we _are _getting old."

"I'll admit I liked working with you guys," said Zatanna, "but I'm not ready to commit to something like this on a permanent scale. I have too much to do, things to sort out, people to find…" Here she caught Batman's knowing eye and shrugged. "So, yeah…that's how it is."

"Technically, I'm in retirement," Doctor Fate interjected. "And I have no plans to change that status."

"Fate, I know you still quietly guard Salem." Wonder Woman smirked at him.

"'Quietly' being the key word," Fate reminded her. He sighed. "To be frank, the JSA took up a lot of my time, and though I felt fulfilled while I was part of it, I enjoy having that time to do other things now."

"Basically, he's saying no," Wonder Woman translated. Doctor Fate nodded slightly, confirming her statement.

"Fair warning, though," he told them. "I may drop in from time to time."

"I'll look forward to it." Wonder Woman smiled.

"I have obligations in Gotham," said Batgirl. "I bet Batman could commit, though, if he wanted." Batman glared at her, but she smiled sweetly back. "Oh, come on – you know it's true. I swear, these days the Commissioner is taking a leaf out of your book – you can't deny crime in Gotham has gone down at least fifteen percent, even while you and I were busy with Darkseid and Parallax."

"I think it would be good for you," Nightwing chimed in, joining his former partner in ganging up on their mentor – and earning his share of the infamous Bat-glare. "You need a change of scene."

"Come on, Bats," Flash added. "We need a detective on our team."

Near him, J'onn smiled slightly at the irony – but then, Flash couldn't possibly know what his day job was.

"Batman?" That was all Superman said. Anything more would be unnecessary; Gotham's Caped Crusader and Metropolis' Man of Steel knew each other too well for that. The two of them shared what was possibly the longest and deepest friendship out of anyone in the stadium.

Batman, for his part, was the only one who had not yet decided – the single person who had not committed to yay or nay. He looked around at everyone's expectant faces – stopping to glare at both Nightwing and Batgirl – raised an eyebrow that spoke volumes at Superman, and exhaled.

"Well," he said simply, "it seems I've been outvoted."

And everyone smiled, because they knew that was his way of acceptance. It might not seem like much, but to those who knew Batman well, it was all that was needed.

Batman came forward to join the other six who had committed to the new team, who were all standing just a little apart from the rest of the group. His arrival made the number seven.

"So, it's the seven of us," said Superman, beaming widely.

"So how is this going to work?" Flash wondered. "Will we be like the Justice Society in the twentieth century?"

"Nah – 'society's too old-fashioned a word to use for the modern time," Green Lantern replied jokingly. "We're more like a 'league'."

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. "A Justice League?" she questioned.

Green Lantern nodded solemnly.

"Exactly."

* * *

_**A/N: Those last five lines are my absolute favorite of the entire story :) **_

_**So, here ends the first **Tale of Diamond Earth**. I'm already halfway through the second story - I will personally PM you guys who reviewed when I post. Here's a little info on the next fic: it's titled **Secrets of State**, it's in the **Teen Titans **category****, and it's centered on Starfire. Excited yet? ;)**  
_


End file.
